Council tax set to rise by 3.2%

Despite the action of London Mayor Boris Johnson in freezing the GLA precept on the Kingston Council Tax at its 2008-9 level, the Lib- Dem Administration will still propose a 3.2% tax rise for 2009-10.

But for Boris Johnson’s action the rise would have come out at 4%!

This is the likely outcome of next week’s Budget Council, which will formally approve the CT rate for the forthcoming year. This is still above the average expected rate of increase nationwide which is about 3%.

The budget proposals were subjected to careful scrutiny last night by the Conservative-led Scrutiny Panel. One big expenditure item not in last year’s budget but in this year’s, is the £600,000 subsidy to the Rose Theatre.