Big change’ in Douglas rates likely in 2020 warns Christian

The leader of Douglas Council hasn’t ruled out a rise in rates as the authority prepares to set a budget for 2020.

David Christian says it’s going to be a ‘difficult year ahead’, with new equality laws and the latest public sector pay award set to hit council finances.

He’s stressed that officers have been looking for savings ‘all year round’, and says there’ll be ‘very little’ capital investment by the authority next year.

The Douglas rate is currently 443 pence in the pound, after a 3.3 per cent rise was implemented in April.

Councillors will meet mid-January next year to thrash out the entire budget, before announcing the new rate at the end of the month.

The new figure will come into play in April 2020, the start of the next financial year.