HUNDREDS of people protested outside a council meeting as an effectively bankrupt authority rubber stamped a controversial 9.99% tax increase reports the BBC.
A full meeting of Thurrock Council, which has debts of about £1.5bn, voted to implement its 2023-24 budget, including £8m of cuts.
It was passed by the Conservatives despite opposition Labour and Independent councillors voting against.
The council leader said it would still have the lowest council tax in Essex.
The rise means the average Band D homeowner in Thurrock will pay £1,585.17 per year, up from £1,441.26 but the council insisted that was still 11.6% lower than areas of a similar size.
Conservative leader, Mark Coxshall, said :”It’s still £200 cheaper than the rest of Essex and it’s still nearly £400 cheaper than London.
“I think it’s a moderate rise [as] over the last 10 years we’ve missed £54m from normal rises, we’ve missed over 13% of rises… and we just need to correct a wrong.”
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