Chichester District Council’s share of council tax looks set to be frozen at its current level – at present lowest in West Sussex – for 2012-13.
The district cabinet is recommending the figure should remain at £133.24 for the average band D householder, for the second year running. County council, parish council and police figures have to be added to make up the total to be paid.
The government is providing a ‘tax freeze grant’ of around £177,000, for one year only, equivalent to a 2.5 per cent tax rise, to implement the freeze.
Accepting the grant means the council having to make good the shortfall in 2013-14, although there are hopes there may be some government ‘reward’ for authorities which have held tax down.
Cllr Tricia Tull, cabinet member for finance, said the council had already made the decision to accept compensation for a further freeze – 77 per cent of local authorities were accepting the subsidy.
The council currently had the lowest council tax in West Sussex and the ninth-lowest of the 55 authorities in the south east: “We are a low-tax, low-spend and high-performing authority to be proud of,” she declared.