Councillors will today decide exactly how much council tax bills will increase in Oxfordshire.

Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour county councillors will meet at the strategy and resources committee to set a budget for the coming year,

Council tax payments will definitely increase all that needs to be decided is by exactly how much.

Finance officers are advising councillors to consider an increase of between 6.8 and 7.2 per cent.

A 6.8 per cent increase would mean a resident living in a Band D property would pay £44.65 extra, facing an annual bill of £696.68, instead of £652.03.

A 7.2 per cent increase would push bills up to £699.

After the meeting, the county council will contact district and parish councils, who set their own council tax demands together with the police authority.

Deputy county treasurer Paul Gerrish said before the meeting: "The key issue now is whether the council will be capped for setting a budget at this level.

"The Government assessment of what we should be spending has gone up by 6.7 per cent and our budget has gone up by 6.8 per cent, so in that context I would be very surprised if the authority was capped."

If councillors fail to reach a decision today, a further meeting will be held in a week's time.

A key issue councillors will consider is the pressure on social services spending, which is facing £10m worth of cuts over three years.