Ruth Keeling reports on LGC (£) today that “Ministers and councils are in disagreement over who should bear the brunt of a 10% cut in spending when council tax benefits are localised next year”.
This squabble is part of the wider debate over the Local Finance Bill – currently making its way through the Commons.
Local government finance has a relatively low profile but the plans put forward in the Bill could affect radical changes to the political geography of this country
The Government has also heard concerns about the equalisation of local business rates with proposals for top-ups, tariffs and levies. I understand that some people within local government are anxious about how the scheme will work over time and whether the top ups will retain their value.
This is why LGiU have teamed up with the MJ to run an opinion pool to find out what you think about the plans in the Bill and the future of council finances in general.
The survey consists of 17 questions and should take no longer than 5-10 mins to complete. To take part, please follow the link below.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGiUlocalfinancesurvey
The survey will be closed on 15 February and shared in the following week’s edition of the MJ.
Feel free to contact me on rob.dale@lgiu.org if you have any questions or queries.
