Councils will not turn down the tax freeze offer

Michael Burton is puzzled by the attention given to a future decision about council tax rises when authorities have little political choice but to accept.

There has been much media coverage today about a survey into whether councils intend taking up the government's offer of funding a 2.5% rise in council tax from next April in order to create a freeze.

According to a sample of 146 council finance directors, '20%' may not take up the offer.
I'm puzzled by the attention given to the survey. The percentage of councils likely to reject this offer is actually only 4% i.e. 7 with the remaining 16%, about 21, undecided. They are undecided because as yet they haven't made up their minds, quite probably because a decision about council tax rises for next April has not yet been taken by their authority.
 

Michael Burton

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