With “everything possible” being used from now on until next September by political parties to ‘score points off each other’ in the run up to the municipal elections, one form of ‘keeping voters happy’ is being highlighted by the press today – that of keeping council rates to the ‘bare minimum’ (0.3% on the perceived value of properties). A number of councils have always charged the minimum, but many haven’t, and some still don’t. In the Algarve, almost every municipality has opted to charge the bare minimum for 2025, except for Vila Real de Santo António (0.45%), São Brás de Alportel (0.41%), Portimão (0.38%) and Olhão (0.37%).
