COUNCILLORS in Chesterfield are to consider raising council tax by 6p a week to reduce cuts to services.
Chesterfield Council is set to lose £3.3 million in Government funding over a four-year period and is trying to make up some of the shortfall.
As one of the 51 local authorities with the lowest council tax rates in the country, the Government has given permission for the council to raise it by up to 10p a week.
John Burrows, council leader, said: “The Government has recognised that, because Chesterfield has consistently been among the lowest in the country for council tax, proportionately the impact of the cuts on our council is greater than that being experienced by local authorities that started the cuts from a higher tax base.
“If we were to pick this option, it would mean that we could generate money to prevent major cuts to our core services such as street cleaning.
“We are all acutely aware of how tough it is for residents to pay their bills in the current economic climate.
“But equally we have to consider the impact on people’s lives if they start facing even more severe cuts to the key services that people tell us really matter to them.”
The decision will be made on Thursday, February 28.
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