Residents are to be hit with yet another financial blow as Liberal Democrat–run Horsham Council is to push through increases to council tax and to more than double the Town Tax over three years, despite a £1.6m budget surplus forecast.
Despite assurances about supporting local residents, the Lib Dem administration has chosen to raise the Town Tax in Horsham at a time when families and pensioners are struggling with higher energy bills, food prices and mortgage costs. This comes despite the council forecasting a £1.6 million surplus, but still choosing to tax residents more and spend freely.
Residents are being told to pay more, yet all they see from the Lib Dems are unpopular decisions and misplaced priorities. From the deeply unpopular proposed Carfax town centre redesign, to plans that would remove the valued
community fountain from the Bishopric, and £10.2 million poured into The Capitol to satisfy the Lib Dems’ Net Zero ambitions — local people are being ignored.
Higher council tax should mean better services. Instead, families are asking:
where is our money going, and what are we getting back?
This approach stands in stark contrast to calls from local Conservatives for responsible financial management. At a time when the council should be finding ways to make savings and protect frontline services, Horsham’s Liberal Democrat leadership has opted for the easy option.
