WEALTHIER homeowners in Surrey could be asked if they want to pay more council tax to fund services.

They would not get any extra privaleges in return, but would be “invited” to make additional payments if they want to.

The idea is said to have already worked in the London borough of Westminster and is now being considered for Surrey.

Surrey County Council’s leader Tim Oliver said he was sure some residents would be happy to make the extra contributions.

Posing the idea of “voluntary additional contributions to council tax” at full council on February 4, Cllr Oliver said: “There is nothing to stop this council asking people to make more contribution to council tax if they so wish and I’m sure there are some residents who would be happy to do that.”

Residents living in the higher band bracket would be asked if they want to pay more council tax and will then be able to choose how much more they pay. 

The extra money is then used for specific services such as youth clubs, homelessness and tackling isolation.

Councillors spent over an hour debating the budget for 2020/21 which will see a rise in council tax of 3.99 per cent including a two per cent rise in the adult social care precept. 

The net revenue budget has increased to £968.4 million but there are still £38m of savings to be made. 

Having already made more than £200m savings in the past three years, Cllr Oliver promoted a more positive picture saying this was a budget investing in services and spending on capital projects such as roads and flooding schemes. 

This includes around

£1.4 billion worth of investments over the next five years.

He hailed it “the most sensible, sustainable and ambitious” set of budget proposals in Surrey for years.

And he said increasing the council tax would “deliver real tangible benefits” for taxpayers. 

Cllr Oliver said: “The ambitious capital programme outlined sets this budget apart from previous years.

“We are looking to invest hundreds of millions of pounds in a series of projects that will deliver real benefits for the people of Surrey but also deliver year-on-year efficiencies and resilience long into the future.”

Farnham South county councillor Wyatt Ramsdale added: “It is great to see the county council is making a financial recovery and is now in a position to have a budget that includes making investments that will benefit the community.”

By Rebecca Curley (LDR)