Voters may get veto on council taxation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Voters may be given the chance to block excessive council spending plans in a series of mini-referendums.
The Government is carrying out a review of local government finance and it is believed the idea of the referenda will be included in a forthcoming Green Paper, to be launched by deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Under the proposals voters would be able to reject plans that would increase their council tax bills above a certain level.
While the proposal might be popular with the public, it is likely it would lead to disagreements between the Government and local councils. The cabinet is said to support the idea because it would help provide a way of dealing with its manifesto promise to put an end to capping of council budgets.
Last night a spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, said the Green Paper would be published within the next few weeks.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments