THE council tax payer has become wearily used to bill increases each year. Oxfordshire County Council — which is responsible for the lion’s share of council tax bills — says 2010/11 bills will increase by 2.75 per cent, or 60p a week on Band D properties.

Given the current economic climate, it could have been a lot worse.

After all, the local authority had been mulling a bigger increase a few months ago.

However, as pensioner Bill Jupp suggests today, it is another burden on hard-pressed elderly people and, as he points out, the pension does not keep pace.

What we do know is the council is strapped for cash.

Central Government is not planning on dipping its hand into its pocket any time soon.

Perhaps a greater worry than a bill increase is the mounting pressure on services.

County Hall has already outlined plans to cut jobs and streamline some backroom operations. There has already been some impact: parking charges will be increased, some street lights turned off and councillors’ allowances frozen.

But worse could be around the corner.

Our greater concern should be about future cuts and job losses.