People in Ascot face council tax rises across the board this year after different councils agreed separate increases for 2026/27.
Ascot is split between the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and Bracknell Forest Council.
At RBWM the Liberal Democrat administration won a vote at full council on Tuesday, March 3 to raise council tax by 7.49 per cent for the 2026/27 financial year. Conservatives, independents and other opposition councillors voted against the budget.
Explaining the rise, councillor Lynne Jones (Liberal Democrats, Old Windsor), lead member for finance, said: "This is not a budget that deserves celebration, but it is a survival plan."
"We now need to look ahead. We know how we got here; we know what went wrong historically, but our focus is on the future. Everyone's should be."
Cllr Jones criticised the previous Conservative administration, which cut or froze council tax for about eight consecutive years during the 2010s. Normally a council would need to hold a referendum to increase council tax by more than 4.99 per cent, but RBWM is one of seven councils given permission by the government to raise taxes without a referendum because previous Conservative administrations kept the tax below average.
Parish councils set additional precepts for local facilities. Sunningdale Parish Council chose to reduce Band D taxes by £1.73 at its budget meeting on Tuesday, February 24.
Some Ascot residents fall under Bracknell Forest. The Labour administration there increased council tax by 4.99 per cent at its meeting on Wednesday, February 25. Winkfield Parish Council, which covers North Ascot, Chavey Down and Cranbourne, froze council tax levels at its budget-setting meeting last month.
Bracknell Forest's budget includes more than £3 million in savings by reducing staffing, reviewing contracts and stopping non-essential services, with a further £5 million used to help plug a funding gap.
Councillor Paul Bidwell (Labour, Easthampstead & Wildridings) said: "Sadly, as we have been given the lowest financial settlement of any unitary authority in the country from the government, it means we have no choice but to raise council tax by 4.99 per cent from April to help plug the funding gap.
"We know that nobody wants to pay more council tax, but given rising costs, growing demand for council services and our low funding settlement, there is no alternative. We will, however, make sure that our lowest income households are able to access increased council tax support in 2026 to 2027."
Check your council's website to see whether you're eligible for council tax support.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
