Burnham-On-Sea MP Ashley Fox has urged Somerset Council to give residents a direct say before any further council tax rise above the national referendum limit is introduced for a second consecutive year.
Somerset households saw a 7.5% increase last year, which the council described as “exceptional.”
This year, Ashley Fox says families could see bills rising by more than £200 — an increase of around 11%. Combined, many households could soon be paying almost £900 more per year than they were in 2022, he adds.
Ashley says that while councils are facing genuine financial pressures, residents should not be expected to absorb repeated above‑limit rises without being consulted.
He says: “Families across Somerset are already under serious pressure from the cost of living. Asking them to absorb another above-limit council tax increase, for a second year running, without even giving them a say, is simply not right.”
“Council tax referendums exist for a reason. If Somerset Council believes an increase of this scale is unavoidable, it should be prepared to ask the people who will be paying the bill whether they want this and whether they can afford it.”
Ashley Fox also raised concerns about the wider impact of recent council decisions, including the loss of around £400 a year in council tax support for thousands of disabled households, alongside reduced services and increased spending on agency staff and consultants.
The Somerset Conservative opposition group has written to the Leader of Somerset Council, urging the administration to commit publicly to consulting residents before proposing any further above‑limit rise. The letter is due to be presented at the council’s Executive meeting on Wednesday 11th February.
