WEST Devon Borough Council has received a better than expected level of funding from Government, meaning the council should be able to avoid levying a significant increase in council tax when this is set in March next year.
Council principal corporate accountant Dan Bates said the Government had reviewed its formula for funding local authorities and had provided a fixed cost element for the first time.
This recognised that all councils had certain expenditures which they incurred irrespective of their size, he said.
The Government?s statement was provisional, Mr Bates added, but no major changes were expected: ?Traditionally West Devon has received a lower figure than expected, but the Government?s figures show an increase of 11%, which is higher than expected.
?We have fared well compared with some of our neighbours.
?The formula is generally population-based, and because we cover such a large area we have tended to suffer. But the proposed one-off payment from Government benefits small councils.?
The borough council will have to await figures from Devon County Council before setting the council tax. The county council received an increase of only 4.1% in funding compared with the national average of 5.9%, Mr Bates said.
Cllr Peter Hill, chairman of West Devon policy and resources committee, said he ?cautiously welcomed? this year?s announcement from the Government.
He said: ?I am pleased that they appear to have recognised the funding difficulties of smaller councils.
?West Devon has been campaigning for a fairer deal for small rural councils for some years.
?Councillors will now work hard to set budgets which allow good levels of service to be maintained without overburdening council tax payers.?