Cornwall Tax Freeze For 12 Months

Members of Cornwall Council have voted to set a budget which will see the authority's element of council tax frozen for the next twelve months. 

Councillors at a meeting on Tuesday 26th February voted by 52 votes to 49 with 3 abstentions to support a recommendation put forward by the Liberal Democrat group to set a budget of £5425.727m for 2013/2014 with a zero increase in council tax. 

This will mean the Cornwall Council element of council tax for a Band D property will remain at £1,244,41. 

This is the third year the Council has voted to freeze council tax. The Council's Cabinet had previously recommended a 1.97% increase in council tax (42p a week for a Band C property) to help the authority protect frontline services and prepare further significant reductions in Government funding in future years at the same time as increasing pressures on budgets. 

However this recommendation was not voted on during the meeting, with a majority of Members instead supporting the Liberal Democrat amendment. 

The amendment approved today also includes: 

• £175,000 to address potholes and improve maintenance budgets for children's play equipment and green spaces across Cornwall. 
• £200,000 for the Youth Service budget £1.200m in both 2013/14 and 2014/15 to underwrite the car parking strategy 
• £1.245m in both 2013/14 and 2014/15 
• Reversing the £135,000 reduction in the Members' Community Chest Reinstating 
• £200,000 to the Leader's Contingency Budget