Last year Marlborough Town Council caused some gasps with a rise in its ‘precept’ – the amount it raises through the council tax – of just over fifteen per cent. For 2015-2016 it will rise by 2.2 per cent.
This will mean a rise for Band D properties of a fraction over 6p per week.
Proposing the rise to the full council meeting (December 15), finance committee chair Councillor Andrew Ross said the “Council’s affairs are in fairly decent good health.” Taking into account “things coming down from Central Office” they had aimed to hold the rise to two per cent.
An extra budget line for the Youth Council had pushed it slightly mover that target.
Another extra cost for the coming year was a budget line for ‘events’ of £6,500 – this would cover costs now ‘passed down’ by Wiltshire Council. Another cost allowed for was £20,000 for the new cemetery – but this would be cost neutral while renovation and development of the Town Hall was on hold.
One interesting fact from the short debate on the precept was that 25 per cent of the Council’s annual income does not come from the precept but from properties it owns.
The promise is that come Spring sheep will safely graze on Coopers Meadow – the way forward is now in the hands of lawyers
