Camden plans council tax increase to ‘protect frontline services’
Camden plan to increase council tax by two per cent this year - Credit: Archant
Council tax in Camden could go up in April despite government incentives to freeze it.
Camden Council is currently planning next year’s budget based on a council tax rise of two per cent from April, which would net the council an extra £1.6million.
But the government is offering the council £1million to freeze the tax.
Camden Council’s ruling Labour group will consider the proposed increase at a meeting on January 28, ahead of the decision in February.
Cllr Theo Blackwell, cabinet member for finance, said: “Local government cannot carry on freezing council tax and protecting frontline services. That £1.6million a year is what we have cut from the library budget.
He added: “The government incentive is a gimmick. It would only be for two years and then we would be in a worse position.”