COUNCILLORS have called on the government to allow them to end a cap on how much council tax Oxford City Council can charge residents.

Members of the Labour-run authority approved a motion calling for greater financial independence.

Presently, any rise above 1.99 per cent requires a public referendum, which critics say would not be successful.

The annual council tax every city household pays is divided between the police, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and, for some, parish councils.

For the 2015/16 financial year, from April 1, the police and county council are set to raise their shares by 1.99 per cent.

The city council has proposed to raise its precept by 1.5 per cent, a £4.10 rise to £277.63 a year on a band D property.

Deputy Labour council leader Ed Turner said: “There are several ways in which councils might be given more fiscal autonomy.

One way would be to allow councils to set a rate of council tax increase without it being capped by the whim of the secretary of state.

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“In Oxford, increases we’ve been willing to accept have been around the level of inflation, but there is a point of principle, which is that this should be a matter for local people through their elected representatives, rather than Eric Pickles.”

In a meeting on Monday, councillors passed a Liberal Democrat motion calling for greater financial independence.

Proposed by Jean Fooks it said: “Council calls for the three political groups on Oxford City Council to ask Oxford MPs to join them in lobbying government to plan for urgent, major devolution of power.”

The original draft said: “including tax-raising and spending”.

This was amended to: “Council believes local government needs more fiscal autonomy.”

Labour councillor John Tanner told the chamber: “Local government is in a pretty dire situation, whether councils are well-run or not.

“We should be getting more money from government and we should be free to ask for more from the public.”

Conservative-run West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and Cherwell District Councils have decided to freeze their share of the council tax. Tory-run South Oxfordshire District Council will make a decision this month.

Vale leader Matthew Barber: “We have taken advantage of the government’s freeze grant for the fifth year and if our finances allow us to we will be looking to reduce council tax in the future.”

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