MELKSHAM Town Council has announced it will have to charge residents more tax from April to cope with cuts being made by Wiltshire Council.
The council agreed this month to raise its precept – the proportion of council tax paid to the town council – to £432,020 for the 2016/17 financial year.
This increase of approximately 12% means that the precept of a Band D property will be £95.09 per year; an increase of £7.27 per year or 61p per month on last year’s £87.82. Band D properties are used as a measure of the national average, and some houses will see a bigger or smaller increase.
Town clerk Steve Gray said, “This increase reflects the current economic climate which has seen Wiltshire Council declare its intention to withdraw from or reduce its delivery of a variety of community services given the lack of available funding.
“In setting its budget and precept requirement for the 2016/17 financial year, Melksham Town Council has attempted to offset some of the effects of Wiltshire Council’s decisions that will impact upon our community.
“This includes £1,500 to plant flower beds in the town that Wiltshire Council will no longer provide; £1,250 to replace damaged or destroyed litter bins that would otherwise be removed; £5,000 to replace damaged play equipment in children’s play areas which would otherwise be removed; £14,000 to clean and maintain one block of public conveniences within the town; and £10,000 to part fund highways safety initiatives within the community that otherwise would not come to fruition.
“The town council regrets the need to increase the council tax burden on local residents but the revised precept seeks to ensure that it can meet the additional financial demands associated with this increased service provision, whilst remaining on a viable and sustainable footing that will ensure that it is able to operate effectively in the future.”
Melksham Town Council’s precept has risen by a total of £60,910 since April 2014.
The full payable council tax will not be announced until all parties have set their precepts – the county council, police force and fire service also rely on income from council tax.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson, recently proposed a 1.9% rise in the police force’s precept; an extra £3.12 per year for a Band D property.
