Double Inflation Sefton Council Tax Hike Planned

Double Inflation Sefton Council Tax Hike Planned

Council tax bills are going to rise nationally by well over a billion pounds this year despite services such as children’s centres being cut. Sefton Council is one of the local authorities hitting local residents for the maximum possible rise.

Sefton Council is planning to use powers given to it to levy the maximum 5.99 per cent rise this year while Labour ‘s Mersey Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy is also planning to push her levy on the council tax up by an eye watering 7.23 per cent.

Worried Council Tax payers , whose income has gone up nowhere near this amount this year , are left wondering how to share the blame between the Conservative government, which has allowed these above inflation increases, and the Labour councillors in Bootle who have taken advantage of the chance to push up Council Tax by the maximum.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced in December that all councils will be able to raise council tax by up to 5.99 per cent which would amount to roughly £1.2billion next year. If Council leader Ian Maher wishes to increase Sefton’s Council Tax by any bigger amount he would have to call, fight and win a local referendum.

Councillors meet to set the Sefton Council Tax at Bootle Town Hall at 6.30 pm on Thursday evening.