Lanarkshire residents facing council tax hikes in bid to boost town hall finances

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Wealthy Lanarkshire residents are facing council tax hikes of 22.5 per cent as part of a desperate bid to boost town hall finances.Stiff rises could affect over one in four properties in the area under plans discussed by local authority chiefs and the Scottish Government.STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said the cash raised would be a “mere sticking plaster” on the “deep cuts inflicted” on councils.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android A leaked paper by umbrella group COSLA reveals the discussions of a joint group chaired by Ministers and council figures on tax reform.Technical changes to the calculations behind council tax - called ‘multipliers’ - led to big rises for people in band E, F, G and H properties in 2017.A similar plan is being examined again, even though the people of Lanarkshire are struggling with the cost of living crisis.The paper states: “Repeating the 2017 changes would mean Council Tax would increase by 7.5 per cent, 12.5 per cent, 17.5 per cent and 22.5 per cent for properties valuation bands E, F, G and H respectively if council tax rates remained unchanged.“The average increases, at 2023-24 council tax rates, would be around £127, £281, £464 and £741 per dwelling in these bands respectively.”In 2021, there were 349,550 dwellings in Band E, 207,107 in F, 133,223 in G and 13,861