Leeds Faces 16%+ Council Tax Increase to meet Government Targets

12.00.00am GMT Mon 17th Feb 2003

Leeds Labour plan to increase council tax by 6 times inflation.

Councillor Mark Harris, Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Leeds City Council, this afternoon forced the Council Leadership to admit that Council Tax will have to rise by 16% if the Council is to spend at the new recommended levels for Council Services.

Cllr Harris said "The Council has been told by Government, through their new spending formula, that they should be spending over £80 million more than they previously spent. Even though Leeds spent more than the Government recommended in the past there is still a large gap between the Governments new 'Formula Spending Shares' estimate for the City and the amount which would be raised from Grants and a Council Tax increase in line with inflation."

"The Labour Government made a big play in the seminar of announcing increased money for local services. Now it turns out they just plan to allow the Council to raise Council Tax by 6 times inflation in order to pay for their promises."