Praise for Pickles

Tonight Exeter City Council's Scrutiny Committee - Resources met in the Rennes Meeting Room in the Civic Centre

Under agenda item 9 we reviewed and discussed the Revenue Budget Proposals 2013/14.

Recently Eric Pickles has agree that councils like Exeter who have a Council Tax rate in the lowest 25% would be allowed to raise their rates by up to £5 a year, rather than by the previously announced 2%, without a local referendum.

This led me to say something I thought I would never say - that I welcomed an intervention by the Secretary of State!

"The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government often gets a bad press, not least from me on my Twitter feed - but i would like it noted that here in open session that he has come up with a move I welcome.

"The ability to raise Council Tax by £5 per year - that's 10p per week, rather than the 5p week allowed up by a 2% rise - can help deliver the services that Exeter needs, and especially help find the £3m we need to deliver adequate flood defences for the City."

A few more facts and figures wee contributed by Cllr Simon Bowkett:
Exeter Band D council tax = £125 per year
Average Band D council tax across all local authorities = £190 per year.