Leaders approved a 2.98% increase to keep services running, despite opposition and a £23 million budget gap.
Council Leader Neil MacDonald has a plan. He wants to raise council tax by 2.98%. This should keep council services running well. Other party leaders opposed this idea at first. The executive committee approved it unanimously anyway. The full council will vote on it next Wednesday.
MacDonald said recent inflation hurt the council. Cost uncertainty made things hard too. He promised to keep providing good services to residents. MacDonald stated the council will support residents.
He said they chose a 2.98% council tax rise. It is less than other Ipswich organizations. Suffolk County Council plans a 4.99% rise. The police commissioner wants 5.06% more. The borough can still protect vital services. This is despite the tough financial times.
MacDonald said these actions will stabilize the council’s finances. Ian Fisher leads the Ipswich Conservative Group. He noted earmarked reserves outweigh actual reserves. He suggested moving money from these reserves. Fisher said they still raise council tax as much as they can. It is despite being lower than other authorities.