News
08 February 2010
THE portion of council tax that Londoners pay for the Greater London Assembly is expected to be frozen for the second year in a row.
London Assembly members are expected to pass the London mayor's final draft budget on Wednesday (Feb 10), under which the total precept will remain at £309.82 a year for a Band D household.
But within the figures, the Metropolitan Police Authority will get less cash while London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority get more money as does the Greater London Authority- and this will include a £20 contribution to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The amount raised through the council tax precept for the 2012 Games will remain at 38p a week for a Band D household.
Mayor Boris Johnson said he is "delivering more for less" by funding new services through efficiency savings.
Simon Milton, the mayor's chief of staff, said: "The theme of this whole budget has been more for less, trying to do more with less money."
He said the number of rape crisis centres in London, one of mayor Boris Johnson's priorities, would rise from one to eventually four, one in each part of London, with a second centre to open this year.
Plans also include planting 10,000 more trees, get more police on to public transport particularly the buses, and improve the Tube.
He said the freeze was in marked contrast to the 153 per cent increase in the GLA portion of council tax levied before Boris Johnson came to power.