LATEST figures show that, on average, Hartlepool residents are paying less in council tax than many other areas of the country.
For 2005/6, the average tax bill is £921, placing Hartlepool 262nd out of 354 councils.
Since Hartlepool Borough Council became a unitary authority in 1996, its tax has increased by 63 per cent, compared to the national average of 88 per cent.
Councillor Stanley Fortune, cabinet member for finance, said: "It has always been an anomaly with the council tax to draw comparisons at Band D because, for towns like Hartlepool, there is a big proportion of properties that fall into bands A to C, resulting in people paying much less."
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