Many local people in East Renfrewshire could be clobbered by a large council tax rise next year.
Last month, the Scottish Government brought forward proposals that would result in all homeowners in East Renfrewshire and across Scotland whose property is placed in bands E, F, G, and H experiencing a significant hike in their bills for the 2024-25 financial year.
It would mean a 7.5 percent rise for band E, an increase of 12.5 percent for band F and a hike of 17.5 percent for band G. As part of the proposals, council tax for properties in band H is set to rise by an eye watering, 22.5 percent.
In total, 23,162 households in East Renfrewshire would be hammered by the SNP-Green Government council tax rises and see an increase to their bills.
The proposals are currently out for public consultation and if ultimately implemented, typical annual council tax charges for East Renfrewshire residents in band E would increase by £139.46 per year and by £287.47 for band F. Annual council tax for local people with a property that belongs to band G would jump by £485.01 and the rise for band H is a massive £780.14.
The decision of the SNP-Green Government to bring forward plans for significant increases to council tax for properties in bands E-H when we are still experiencing a global cost of living crisis is simply outrageous.
The bombshell council tax rises will terrify large numbers of people and the plans are a hammer blow to personal and household finances.
Council tax has already increased by huge amounts for local residents over the previous six years.
The cumulative large-scale rises have not been for the purposes of increasing investment in local services but simply to lessen the impact of cuts to core service provision after almost a decade of derisory SNP Government budget settlements for East Renfrewshire Council.
People in East Renfrewshire should not have to continue bearing the brunt of the SNP failing to give the council the resources that it needs to run vital local services with residents again set to pay the price with a huge increase to their council tax bills from April 2024.
It has been relayed to me that of the £6.6 million expected to be raised in East Renfrewshire through the higher council tax rates, just 50 percent of the total amount would be retained locally.
Consequently, £3.3 million would be taken away from our local area and redistributed to other councils.
As such, millions of pounds more in council tax that residents could be forced to pay is not even intended to be spent on East Renfrewshire’s local services.
This is completely unfair and the proposed SNP-Green council tax rises are representative of a punitive attack on East Renfrewshire.
It is important that Ministers seriously review the proposals and cancel the planned council tax increases.
I urge all local people to register concerns directly with the Scottish Government by taking part in the consultation and opposing the plans.