The Whole Truth? (about your Council Tax bill)

Is Buckinghamshire Council telling you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about your council taxes? Worryingly, I think not...

A few years ago, the Government required insurance companies to give you last year's price and as well as the new one they are asking you to renew at. It makes sense and it saves looking up last year's bill to make sure some clever wool is not being pulled over our eyes. I think it was a good change to the law. 

Should we not expect the same for our Council Tax bills? 

A few days ago - I received the bill for next year's council services. It listed various precepts including Buckinghamshire Council, the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner and the Fire service. (In Buckingham, they managed to miss off the Town Council from the listing. A poor error to make but I don't want to focus on that.)

What I want to focus on is the item labelled 'Bucks Asw' which means Buckinghamshire Adult Social Care. It is part of the Council's overall budget but has been listed separately since it was introduced a few years ago, to raise extra money for this essential part of the Council's services. 

On the bill sent to me, the ASW figure was listed as having a 2% rise. (Thames Valley PCC was a 6.9% rise by comparison.) But I looked at the figures and something didn't quite add up. I dug out last year's bill and discovered that in fact the ASW item has risen by a staggering 25.12% In other words, not the 2% being shown.

Did you know this?

I asked the Council to confirm that my maths was correct and a senior officer who came back to me assured me that it was. He went on to explain that the legislative guidance from central government meant that they had to present the figures in the way that they had. The rise in the ASW budget accounted for a rise of 2% in the overall Buckinghamshire budget. Hence that is what is shown.

I don't know about you, but this seems to be an example of, dare I say, creative accounting. The 2% figure is not exactly wrong (and is compliant with the legislation, I understand) - but it is not exactly clear or right is it...? 

If elected, I will be pressing for the bills next year to show all the arithmetic involved including the figures from the previous year (like insurance bills) so that people can compare one year to the next. (In fact, I will be doing this even if I am not elected!) 

A vote for me is a vote for transparency and a vote for making sure you know the full story about your council taxes! True Vale For Money means a great deal to me. If it it does to you too - please give me one of your three votes. Thanks.