Council Tax in Cornwall is set to increase by 4.99% from April.
Cornwall Council has announced that it proposes to raise Council Tax by 2.99%, the maximum permissible without holding a referendum with an additional 2% levy charged which will be ring-fenced for providing Adult Social Care.
The 4.99% figure does not include the precepts levied by town and parish councils.
A full meeting of Cornwall Council will take place next week, where the authority’s 87 members will vote on the budget proposals.
Cornwall Council says that the budget it has put together will protect the support available for those struggling to pay and, despite the proposed increases, it remains one of the lowest Council tax bills in the South West region, with an average Band D property’s rate increasing by £1.65 a week, lower than the national average.
As part of the budget proposal announcement, Cornwall Council has highlight three priorities which will benefit from the upcoming proposals.
The meeting agenda will also feature the adoption of the Climate Change Emergency Development Plan as well as the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry revenue estimates for 2023/2024.
Cllr David Harris, deputy leader of Cornwall Council and portfolio holder for resources, said: “I am delighted to be putting a balanced budget before the council, especially considering how challenging the process of getting to this point has been.
“As an authority we are in a much healthier place than many of our counterparts and have not been forced to dip into our reserves to reach this point, which is thanks to the hard work of everyone involved in this process.
“We are protecting services while keeping our Council Tax rates below average for the South West, which is an achievement we can be proud of, especially in the current economic climate.”
The meeting will take place in Truro on Tuesday, February 21 and is open to the public as well as being viewed online on the Cornwall Council webcast service.