Windsor and Maidenhead residents could be hit by a 25% council tax rise (Image: Getty)
A Lib Dem-run council is facing demands to abandon proposals to hike tax bills by an eye-watering 25%.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has launched a campaign against the mooted increase in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Benjamin Elks, grassroots development manager of the pressure group, said: “Local taxpayers will be alarmed by these proposals that would leave household finances in tatters.
“With their own budgets already squeezed, the people of Windsor and Maidenhead are being asked to bail out a town hall that refuses to live within its means.
“Councillors must reconsider these plans and instead focus on cracking down on waste and delivering value for money for residents.”
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Analysis by the TPA found that while the council has the lowest band D rate of any unitary authority in England at £1,333, it is in the top third in terms of average tax paid per dwelling as it has a large number of higher band houses.
Jack Rankin, the Tory MP for Windsor, said: “The Lib Dems’ shocking plan to force my constituents to swallow an extra 25% on their council tax bill and make them pay for their own failures is shameful.
“If the Labour government approves this unprecedented hike, it will see the Royal Borough move into the top 20 of all unitary councils across Britain for council tax.
“That’s why I’ve written to Housing Secretary – and called on the Prime Minister directly in PMQs – urging them to reject this ludicrous rise.“
The council last month asked the Government to raise council tax by 20% above the 4.99% cap.
It blamed the move on the previous Tory administration and insisted the extra cash was needed to stave off effective bankruptcy.
The TPA will campaign on the ground in the area, including street stalls and leafleting, as well as a targeted digital campaign encouraging residents to write to their councillors in protest.
Windsor and Maidenhead Council has been contacted for comment.