COUNCIL tax bills in East Hampshire are set to rocket by a massive nine per cent.
In a report to members of East Hampshire District CouncilÕs Cabinet which was due to meet on Wednesday, councillors were to be told that the average Band D taxpayer in Bordon faces a rise next year of around £75.
Last year average Bordon taxpayers forked out £895.57 for their council tax. This year their bills are set to rocket to £967.13.
Bramshott and Liphook becomes the most expensive place in East Hampshire to live with average bills jumping from £897.84 to £973.68.
At Alton, which has the largest population in the district, average householders will find bills totalling £960.66 dropping through their letter boxes compared with £882.91 last year.
Although Alton is the largest town in the district, the town lies 14th in the list of most expensive of the districtÕs 39 towns and parishes.
And in Petersfield average taxpayers, who stumped up £877.97 last year will be looking at bills for £969.67.
East Hampshire District Council is quick to point out that it has stuck to a 2.5 per cent rate of inflation increase for the third year running. Ruling Tories claim has been achieved despite the recent dramatic fall in investment rates which are set to cost the Council £170,000 next year in lost interest income.
The average precept from town and parish councils, reported officers, has risen by 5.15 per cent adding an average of £33.64 to the makeup of the bill
But these relatively modest rises will come as no comfort to taxpayers who are having to pay the price of an increase in the Hampshire County Council precept of 7.9 per cent (the average Band D taxpayer will pay £734.67 for the countyÕs share of the bill) and a monumental rise of 27.3 per cent in the Hampshire Police AuthorityÕs precept.
EHDC Tories say their part of the tax rise represents an increase of £2.79 for the year or just over 5p a week for the average Band D property.
Their proposals include additional spending to support Citizens Advice Bureaux, the extension of household recycling services to every part of the district and ensuring that war widows and war disabled pensioners on housing or council tax benefit do not have to put any part of their pensions towards their rent or Council Tax Bills.
EHDC also plans to contribute a further £123,000 to its new fund for projects in the community.
Council leader Elizabeth Cartwright said: ÒAlthough we have less income from investments and more spending pressure on services, we are on course to keep East HampshireÕs share of the council tax increase at the level of inflation for the third year running.Ó
Hampshire County CouncilÕs 7.9 per cent rise in council tax means an extra £1 per week for the average tax payer.
County council leader Ken Thornber said it was disappointing that one of the largest county councils in England had received the second-lowest standard spending assessment from the government in assessing its Revenue Support Grant.
Mr Thornber added: ÒGovernment is continuing to shift the financial burden on to local people instead of funding key services like social services itself.
ÒThe people of Hampshire have to make clear that their priorities are core services such as schools social services and roads. I am determined therefore to do everything I can to ensure that these key services continue to be properly funded.Ó
Defending their massive proposed increase in the Hampshire Police Authority precept, chairman of the financial affairs panel of the Hampshire Police Authority Mike Attenborough-Cox said it represented just under 31p increase every week or less than the cost of a pint of milk.
The increase will be formally approved by the full authority on February 19 but looks set to mean the police will take £75.15 from an average Band D house next year compared with £59.04 this year.