NUMBER crunchers at Surrey County Council breathed a sigh of relief this week after it was hinted that their council tax increase is not expected to be capped.
Following last year's astronomic tax hikes, the Minister for Local Government, Nick Raynsford, had threatened to cap any local authority that imposed unreasonably large increases in its council tax charges.
This week it was announced that Surrey County Council's increase of 4.4 per cent is well below the national average of six per cent.
The charge from Surrey County Council makes up the largest portion of the bill. Waverley Borough Council, the town or parish council and Surrey Police have smaller elements of the total charge.
With an increase of 6.2 per cent, Waverley Borough Council's increase is slightly above the national average. Haslemere Town Council however, has bucked the trend of increases, by actually reducing its precept by around 11 per cent.
Mr Raynsford has not publicly announced the specific level at which council tax would be capped.
But he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme: "With the kind of levels being talked about in some areas, which are in double figures and imply quite large budget increases, then I think it is likely we will be using our capping powers."