Bolton Council meeting to be held on council tax rise

This comes with a full council meeting set to take place at town hall on the evening on Wednesday February 18 with council tax set to rise by 4.99 per cent.

But the authority has already set out that there will be no new spending cuts announced as part of this year’s budget.

Speaking at an earlier briefing, council leader Cllr Nick Peel said:  “What we’re proposing has no cuts, but that’s dependent on that council tax rise.”

He added: “Everybody complains about taxes, but it’s a fact of life, over the years of austerity, any kind of inefficiencies in local government have been driven out.”

The meeting will be held at Bolton Town Hall (Image: Anthony Moss)

The rise of 4.99 per cent was included in the authority’s budget proposals announced and consulted on last December and January before being agreed the following February.

This tax rise had been agreed to cover to the end of the 2027 financial year, but the authority is legally required to set council tax charges and consult on its best value duty every year.

The rise of 4.99 per cent is the highest any local authority in England can set without holding a referendum.

This does not include the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner precept or the Mayoral General Precept, which covers the fire and rescue service.