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People in Reading will see their council tax bills go up by just under five per cent from the spring. Reading Borough Council says it has no choice but to raise them because of government cutbacks. Patrick O'Hagan: "If Reading Borough Council or any other council in the land wanted to put up their council tax more than 5% they would have to hold a referendum which would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. "I'm sure that's in line with just about every other local authority in the country, very few would would want to go over the 5% mark. "Reading Borough Council like many others in the country are having to make huge cuts the last few years."