Reports that Slough Borough Council wanted to raise council tax by almost 8 per cent this year were ‘speculation’ its leader has said – contradicting previous council claims.
The council had previously told Cllrs and the press it had asked the government for permission to raise council tax by 7.99 per cent. This is because the government has to approve any plan to raise council tax by 5 per cent or more without a referendum.
But Conservative council leader Dexter Smith has now insisted this was never his plan.
He said: “We have never as an administration asked for 7.99.
“We have merely said to government we are having difficulty guaranteeing that we can balance the budget but we’re working on it.”
He added that reports of a 7.99 per cent increase had arisen from ‘speculation’.
Cllr Smith made the claim to a committee scrutinising budget proposals on Wednesday, February 19.
The claim was met with surprise, confusion and disbelief by Cllrs on the committee including its Conservative chair Robert Stedmond.
Cllr Stedmond said the committee had previously been shown a presentation on the budget that included a 7.99 per cent increase.
He said: “I’m sure there was a presentation to scrutiny members where there was a figure of 7.99 in the assumption on that budget.
“Whether that went out in public or not I don’t know but we definitely saw it on the screen in front of us at the time.”
And Labour cllr Fiza Matloob said: “This is completely different to what was presented to us.”
Previous drafts of the budget were drawn up on the assumption that council tax would increase by 4.99 per cent.
But those drafts also said that this would leave the council with millions of pounds of unfunded spending – meaning it had to request ‘exceptional financial support’ from the government.
A draft published in January said this request included asking ‘permission from government to increase council tax above the referendum limits’.
An interview with Cllr Wal Chahal on the Local Government Chronicle website reported that he’d said budget plans included a 7.99 per cent increase.
A Slough Borough Council spokesperson then confirmed to the LDRS that the council has asked permission for an increase ‘3 per cent above the cap’ adding ‘that comes to 7.99 per cent’.
After the government didn’t grant this permission, Slough Borough Council told the LDRS it was ‘revisiting’ its budget proposals ‘in light of this’.
Speaking after the meeting cllr Smith claimed the figure had only arisen during conversations between the council and the government but was never formally requested.
He said: “We were feeling our way with what would be required of us in getting exceptional financial support.
“We didn’t want to ask for [7.99 per cent] but officers were clearly looking at what we might be asked for.
“If someone is asking ‘did this administration want to raise council tax by 7.99 per cent’ the answer is no.”
