HOUSEHOLDS in Haslemere face a possible £200 hike to their annual council tax bills this April after Surrey’s local authorities confirmed their budget proposals this week.

The most eye-watering increase comes courtesy of Surrey County Council, whose proposed 15 per cent rise – which it blames on substantial cuts in Government funding – will, by law, trigger a referendum coinciding with the county elections on May 4.

More modest increases, not requiring referendums, are also proposed by Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner (1.99 per cent) and Waverley Borough Council (£5 per Band D equivalent household).

However, mercifully Haslemere Town Council has decided to freeze its precent at the current level following an 18 per cent rise in 2016/17 (see below right).

If agreed, these proposals would together result in a £199.62 (12 per cent) increase to the average band D household’s annual tax bill in Haslemere – taking the total bill for an average home to £1,889.72 per annum.

Conversely, if Surrey’s proposals are defeated in the referendum and the county council resorts to its maximum allowed increase of 4.99 per cent, band D householders in Haslemere would see their tax bill increase overall by £72.67 (four per cent) per annum.

It compares to an increase of £62.21 per annum for band D households in Haslemere in the last financial year 2016/17.

Defending the proposed 15 per cent tax hike – which Surrey intends to implement on April 1 and then refund taxpayers if necessary following the referendum – county council leader David Hodge explained they had been left with “no choice”.

Mr Hodge told The Herald: “Government has cut our annual grant by £170million since 2010 – that has left a huge gap in our budget. We have a growing demand for adult social care, learning disabilities and children’s services which are increasing every year.

“I do regret this decision, but we have no choice. Despite us finding £450million-worth of savings from our annual budget, our services are at breaking point.

“I’m going to be honest with the people of Surrey.

“I’m going to tell them the truth and at the end of the day they must decide for themselves. If we don’t increase council tax now we’ll be forced to make cuts in services that will have a huge impact on residents.

“I cannot force them to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

“I’m only going to ask them to examine their own conscience and say I want to protect people with learning disabilities, I want to protect people with adult social care needs, I want to protect children. You need to protect these people.”

Mr Hodge put his tax proposals to fellow Conservative members in a private group meeting last week, and claims to have the backing of 53 of the 56 councillors in attendance.

He cannot claim such support from the council’s opposition members, however, and in particular the Lib Dems group which this week launched a petition against the 15 per cent increase.

Describing the hike as the largest in the country and nine times the rate of inflation, group leader Hazel Watson, said: “Liberal Democrats have consistently called for a more appropriate level of funding from central government to the county council to help avoid large cuts to vital services for Surrey residents.

“Signing the petition will send a message to the Conservative-run administration and central government that this rise is unfair, unaffordable and not the way in which to address a national crisis in the funding of adult social care.

“A national solution is required for adult social care in order to meet the growth in demand.

“Surrey residents should not have to pick up the bill for the Tory-run county council’s financial mess.”

Surrey’s solitary Labour councillor Robert Evans also criticised the proposed hike this week, blaming it on the council’s own ‘financial mismanagement’ rather than Government cutbacks.

He said: “Council tax is an unfair and unbalanced tax, which hits the poorest hardest. But the real issue is the complacency and incompetence in the way they have run the council.

“This top-heavy administration have spent money on huge allowances for themselves, and got their priorities all wrong. They found £1.5million pounds last year on a huge Magna Carta day and now they want to close fire-stations.

“It’s just not right.”

Jerry Hyman, leader of Waverley’s opposition party – Farnham Residents group – is hopeful of gaining his party’s first county council seats in the forthcoming elections on May 4.

Mr Hyman also weighed into the debate this week.

“It seems that the politicians want to play a game of giving us a choice between an inflationary council tax hike or axing services, so they can blame the voters either way,” he said.

“Fortunately there’ll be a third option of removing the offending politicians, giving us a chance to first address the problems of inefficiency, cronyism and waste.”

Surrey’s proposed tax hike will be put to the council’s cabinet on Tuesday, January 31, followed by the full council on Tuesday, February 7.

Waverley Borough Council’s executive will be expected to ratify its own increase also on February 7.