RESIDENTS in North Somerset are being promised the lowest council tax rise in 10 years. North Somerset Council's executive member for finance, Mike Bell, announced on Wednesday that the council tax rise for 2007/08 will be kept below four per cent. The an

RESIDENTS in North Somerset are being promised the lowest council tax rise in 10 years.North Somerset Council's executive member for finance, Mike Bell, announced on Wednesday that the council tax rise for 2007/08 will be kept below four per cent.The announcement came at a meeting with Weston Senior Citizens' Forum ahead of a formal meeting to be held by North Somerset Council on December 19.To keep that promise, councillors will have to make savings in the council's budget of more than £6million as well as increase income.Cllr Bell said: "We have worked hard to respond to public concern and cut costs - and the result will be the lowest rise in 10 years. "We are very pleased with the progress, but know we have more to do to reduce the rise still further."This year's council tax increase was 4.9 per cent, but council tax bills have not risen by less than four per cent since 1997."The council tax is an unfair tax and should go," added Cllr Bell. "Until it does, we will work hard to reduce bills and work as efficiently and effectively as possible.