Issue - meetings

The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The Leader and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Borough-wide Leadership, Councillor Clarke presented the report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services outlining the Council’s position on Council Tax for the year 2025/26.

The Leader advised that this was a technical process to set the Council Tax and moved the recommendation as detailed in the report.

Councillor Virdi seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Polenta reiterated that the Labour Group’s priority was to provide public services to meet social needs, rather than balancing the books, and she felt that Council Tax was outdated, punishing those on the lowest income, as it failed to reflect the housing market and needed reform. The system punished areas with low property values, forcing Councils to set higher rates to fund basic services, and she believed that a fairer model of local taxation was required, and at the very least Council Tax bands should be revalued to challenge this injustice.   

Councillor Birch was concerned about tax communication to residents and felt that Rushcliffe should be communicating more clearly what each council was responsible for and requested that his vote against this be recorded. 

In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Virdi confirmed that he was in favour of positive communications and that officers would continue to consider communications. 

It was RESOLVED that the Council Tax Resolution for 2025/26 as detailed in Appendix A to the report be approved.

Councillor Birch voted against the recommendation.