Council with Wales’ Smallest Funding Increase Proposes Tax Rise
Monmouthshire County Council suggests a 7.8% council tax hike amid funding challenges
Monmouthshire, Wales, Council Tax, Funding, Budget, Social Care
Monmouthshire: A council in Gwent is looking to raise council tax by 7.8% this year. This comes after they found out they received the smallest funding increase in Wales.
Back in December, they learned their funding from the Welsh Government would only go up by 2.8%. That’s way below the average increase of 4.3% for all 22 councils in Wales.
So, they’re proposing this tax hike, which is the same as last year. For a band D home, that means an extra £122.04, pushing the total over £2,000 when you add in the police precept.
The council says their funding will rise by £5.1 million from April, but that only covers 62% of their costs. They plan to spend £216 million on services in the next financial year, which is an 8% increase from this year.
They’re also facing a potential £3.3 million overspend by March due to rising costs and service pressures. But they’re working on solutions to tackle that.
Mary Ann Brocklesby, the Labour leader, mentioned that the budget aims to protect essential services, especially for the vulnerable. She’s in talks with the Welsh Government to fill some budget gaps.
Cllr Ben Callard, the finance cabinet member, emphasized the importance of public feedback in the budget process. He wants to ensure they create a fair budget while keeping core services intact.
They’re planning to boost funding for social care and health by 10.7% and education by the same amount. Plus, they’re setting aside £2 million for vital infrastructure improvements.
The cabinet, which includes a Green Party member, will discuss these proposals soon, with public consultations starting the next day. The full council needs to approve the budget and tax increase by the end of March.