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Mayor fulfils commitment to freeze council tax for a second year
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"14/12/2009
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Hard-pressed Londoners will benefit from a freeze in the Mayor's share of the council tax for the second year in a row and can now have their say on how their money is spent next year.
The Mayor today published his draft 2010 budget for consultation. In it, Boris Johnson outlined how he plans to freeze the Greater London Authority precept for a second year, firmly bringing to an end the eight year tradition of continuous council tax increases under the previous Mayor.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London said:
‘I’m delighted that after eight years of outrageous rises, I'm able to propose a freeze in the GLA's share of the council tax for the second year in a row. When there is less money in people’s pockets, it is vital we do all we can to protect Londoners from excessive tax increases, while improving public services and continuing the investment London needs to beat this recession. We are ensuring value for money and cutting waste, while continuing to protect key services, such as helping Londoners through the economic downturn, delivering vital transport improvement and providing opportunities for young people.’
The budget includes plans for over half a billion pounds of additional savings next year and a total of £2.4 billion over the next three years in recognition of the severe public spending constraints facing the country and the Mayor’s commitment to helping meet this challenge.
Crime and safety continue to dominate as Londoners key issues to address, so 70 per cent of the £0.9 billion raised by the precept will go to the Metropolitan Police Service to make the city a safer place. This will enable the police to continue to address youth violence, as well as tackling gun and knife crime and making neighbourhood and bus networks safer through the work of the Safer Transport Teams, Transport Hub Teams and Town Centre Teams.
The Mayor’s budget will also provide funding for a new intelligence unit to improve the Met’s capability investigations into rape and will reverse decades of neglect by doubling rape crisis provision in the capital.
Vital ongoing work to upgrade the Tube network will increase capacity on the network by more than 10 per cent, whilst the introduction of the Oyster Pay as You for on national rail will make journeys simpler and quicker.
Other key priorities include delivery against the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Action Plan, 10,000 street trees to help improve people's quality of life, the largest number of affordable homes in a single Mayoral term and an end to rough sleeping by 2012.
The Mayor has once again delivered on a key manifesto commitment that the element of the council tax precept that will go to support the delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will remain frozen at 38 pence a week for the average London council tax payer.
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