Cumbria County Council today agreed to increase its share of the council tax by 4.97 per cent for the year from April.
The full council voted in favour of spending plans in revenue and capital budgets for the financial year 2006/7 entailing the increase in its 75 per cent share of household council tax costs.
Joan Stocker, Deputy Leader of the bouncil and budget spokeswoman, said: "We are pleased to have got the support of the full council for the budget we proposed. It has been a difficult balancing act to come up with a formula that protects services as far as possible within the funding we have and at the same time keeping the increase in our share of the council tax down below five per cent, as we said we would. We are pleased to have come up with a budget which strikes that balance."
Cumbria County Council has in recent years argued that funding settlements from central government have left the authority facing tough choices on spending and council tax.
Cumbria County Council takes around 75 per cent of the council tax bills paid by households in the county. The rest is taken by the six district councils, around 12 per cent, the Police Authority, also around 12 per cent, while the remainder goes to town, city and parish councils.
A full break down of the budget approved today can be seen in the Full Council Agenda which is available on the county council website at www.cumbria.gov.uk