A council is planning to increase council tax bills for residents as it attempts to balance its books.
Somerset Council is proposing raising its share of the precept by at least 4.99% next year and is considering asking permission from the government to go higher.
The council’s budget plans for the next financial year warn that, even with a proposed council tax rise, the authority is facing a funding gap of £73m – which it said it was “working hard to reduce”.
In February, Somerset Council was allowed to increase council tax by 7.49%, some others in the UK have been given a 10% limit.
Somerset Council said the funding gap reflected pressure from rising demand, inflation and service costs.
The authority said it was waiting to find out how much money it would receive from the government, as well as decisions on business rates and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) reform.
Interim chief financial officer Clive Heaphy told an executive meeting earlier that the council was not expecting that detail until mid-December.
“None of the announcements from government are going to have any major beneficial effect, if anything, a negative effect,” he said.
“We’re in problem territory.”
Councillors agreed to bid for further financial support from the government while Mr Heaphy said informal talks with Westminster had already started, despite the authority not knowing the detail following the budget
Somerset Council has relied on central government support to balance its books since it declared a financial emergency in November 2023.
It is planning £20m in “efficiency savings” and will put up council fees and charges on things like registering a marriage.
A spokesperson for the authority said it had made “significant savings” in recent years, including saving £33m on its wage bill by cutting 555 full-time jobs and making 292 redundancies.
A consultation on the proposals will be held before a final decision is made at a full council meeting in February next year.
