Braintree Council's leader has said he hopes to keep next year's council tax increases at or below the eight per cent increase levied this year.
David Finch (Con, Hatfield Peverel) was speaking after a private meeting of the council's executive discussed the financial implications of last week's announcement of how much the council would get in grants from Whitehall.
It will receive a total of £7.7 million funding from central Government in the 2004-05 financial year a 2.3 per cent increase on this year.
Mr Finch said: "The grant settlement for Braintree wasn't good, it was less than the wage inflation and general inflation.
"It's certainly not a large amount of money and is definitely less than this year. All the districts suffered as the Government took the money away from the districts and redistributed it mainly to the counties.
"With the plans we're putting in place, I imagine the council tax will not rise above the rate it did this year in the district. We're working hard to make sure the tax increase will be in single digits."
Published Tuesday November 25, 2003
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