EDDC agrees £5 annual council tax increase for average Band D property
In line with many other councils across the country, East Devon District Council has agreed to a Council Tax increase. This amounts to a £5 annual Council Tax increase for an average property for 2018/19 to ensure it continues to secure crucial front line services for its residents and businesses.
The increase means the authority’s portion of the annual Council Tax bill for a Band D property will be £136.78 a year or £2.63 a week for all the services it provides. The amount is the lowest for a district council in Devon and one of the lowest in the country. The £5 increase, which was approved by the council last night (February 28) is less than 10p extra per week.
The council takes just 8p in every pound of the total Council Tax bill with the rest of the money going to Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service along with town and parish councils.
Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, said: “Yet again we see the expected cuts in central government funding but as you have come to expect, we have taken steps to ensure that the impact on our customers is as minimal as possible.
“We have shown over the years, that left to our own devices, we are more than capable of being fiscally prudent and this year is no exception. We still have the lowest district Council Tax in Devon and yet again are one of the lowest in the country.
“When we all work together, irrespective of personal or political differences, we can all do the job our electors wish us to do and give the people of East Devon the best possible service at the lowest possible price which is what we have done each year, every year.”
Council Tax income generates less than a quarter of the council’s revenue every year meaning that the council has to find other sources of funding to offset continued cuts in government funding. Future reductions combined with other budgetary pressures mean that the council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) is currently predicting a budget deficit of £3m by 2020/21 and potentially to £5.4m by 2027/28.
