RBWM residents are facing a minimum 42% rise in council tax over five years, and that the budget report states “…further substantial increases will be required.”   RBWM's own figures assume a "minimum" increase in 2027 of 10%. 

See:
https://rbwm.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s70585/2026-27%20Budget%20-%20Main%20Report.pdf 

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) recently proposed a substantial 7.49% increase in council tax as part of the upcoming budget on March 3rd, on top of last year's 8.99%.

These repeated significant rises place an undue financial burden on local residents who are already grappling with the rising cost of living.

We are therefore calling on the RBWM councillors to vote against this excessive increase or (alternatively) to amend the proposal to a 7.50% rise.

Why is this strange 0.01% difference from 7.49% to 7.50% so vital?

A 7.50% increase would trigger a legally binding democratic referendum, giving residents of RBWM the power to veto this tax hike through a legal vote. A 7.49% increase, however, does not trigger a referendum and we are left without a say in the matter. The increases will simply keep coming year after year.

This democratic referendum mechanism was introduced by Parliament to protect the public from "excessive" council tax rises and so is essential in ensuring that local governance remains transparent and accountable to its constituents. But, at the very time we need a referendum to protect us from minimum 42% excessive increases, we are being denied it through legal loopholes.

Over the last week RBWM has refused three times to publish this petition on its own website in an outrageous attempt to suppress debate on excessive council tax rises. Banning petitions is neither liberal nor democratic. 

Moreover, the government has quietly removed the right to a referendum in RBWM (and five London councils) after April 2027 using a little known legal loophole. So 2026 represents the last chance for the forseeable future that residents here can object to excessive council tax levels through a referendum.

The RBWM community deserves the right to voice their concerns over such impactful decisions, especially when it concerns our financial stability. By voting against the proposed rise or amending it to involve a public referendum, our ward councillors can demonstrate their commitment to representing the interests of their constituents fairly and justly. Ask your ward councillor why they think 42% increases are acceptable without democratic referendum. 

We urge all residents within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to stand up for their democratic rights and financial welfare. Sign this petition to call upon RBWM councillors to reject the proposed 7.49% council tax increase or to amend it to a 7.50% rise, allowing the people to exercise their legal right to a referendum.