Residents could see a council tax increase of more than 12% over the next three years, as well as facing cuts to services in excess £12 million next year.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet approved draft savings of £12.4m for 2016/17 and a council tax rise of 3.9% at a meeting on October 14.
The proposed cuts will now go out to a public consultation before the budget is finalised early next year.
Councillors also approved, in theory, further tax rises of 3.9% for the following two years.
The council will seek to make cuts totalling £35m by 2019 according to a report approved by the cabinet.
Cuts outlined for 2015/16 include reducing playground maintenance and slashing funding to voluntary organisations by 8.7%.
A charge of £20 could be introduced to deal with rat infestation in domestic properties, while leisure centre charges could rise by 4%.
Council Leader Cllr Keith Reynolds, said: “We are continuing to manage our budget and protect key services wherever possible, despite the significant cuts that are being passed down from the UK Government. We will continue to prioritise our funding to protect vulnerable people and front line services, but our savings targets are very tough and we will need to take more difficult decisions over the next few years.”
Cllr Colin Mann, Leader of the Plaid Cymru Group, said: “It is apparent that Labour are still intent on hitting the council tax payer in the pocket. Many people already regard council tax as poor value for money.
“Labour have already hiked up the tax by almost £100 for Band D houses since they gained control three years ago. Over a period of four years the last Plaid administration raised council tax by only £25. In fact the tax was frozen for the last two years. Residents of the borough will be able to judge for themselves the very poor value delivered by Labour against the excellent Plaid Cymru record in control.
“This is another raid on the pockets of ordinary working people. Hiking council tax is not the answer to the challenges of efficiently running this council.”
A budget consultation will be launched on October 19 and run for 12 weeks, with a survey available at www.caerphilly.gov.uk. For full details call 01443 864354.
An utter disgrace, and Labour councillors have the nerve to bleat on about child poverty and cuts to working tax credits. Yet again we are hit with scandalous council tax increases way above the rate of inflation. About time these crooks were booted out, why on earth do people vote them in when all they do is tax, tax, tax, don’t they ever learn.
The Caerphilly Council Cabinet who set this tax increase are attempting to do the impossible, retain services, whatever their significance and priority to the ratepayers. In order to do so they are having to constrict and spead facilities so thinly that ratepayers are now begining to see a drop in the efficiency of some local authority services. No-one can reasonable complain at the methodoligy adopted by the Cabinet members in this respect, but, in order to apply budget responsibility they way they are they are comes at a cost to ratepayers.
The devil will be in the detail of inventive ways the Council, (generally through Officer recomendations) will come up with in trying to retain services and maintain a reasonable income flow.
Increases in Council Tax will, I fear, be this `tip of the fiscal icberg`, service charges for this and that will also increase.
Perhaps the time has come for the Council to consider dispensing with some services which are,; non productive in respect to civic services, not of particular benefit to the majority of ratepayers, those which are a disproportionate cost on the public purse, including, outside Consultants, outside private Surveyors and Engineers, employing a large number of in house Solicitors in the Council Offices whilst employing A `huge` Firm of Private Cardiff Solicitors on a large financial retainer. Or, consider the disengagement of retained Council staff which the above outside private outfits replicate.
It is time for the Labour council to look closely at some of the big expenditure items, Trefor mentions a few here. Many people in the private sector have not received a pay rise in years and yet are expected to continue funding pseudo services. It appears, for instance, that every time the legal department has any legal work to do they farm it out to an outside company.
Meanwhile the pay scandal rumbles on, costing thousands of pounds per week…
All because Caerphilly CBC are incompetent at managing their finances properly. Cut spending. Stop wasting money!
However, the indoctrinated, politically illiterate adherents will continue to vote for their Labour Gods.
I call on the UK government to pass a law stating a maximum increase in council tax can be 2.5% per year, or 1% above the lowest increase in council tax of any council in the UK (use whichever is lower).
This suggestion would cause absolute chaos in civic fiscal management in WALES due to the totally disproportionate Wales Settlements from the UK treasury, further Chaos would be caused if this suggestion was imposed due to the Welsh Assembly having to carving up an ever decreasing pot of taxpayers money in respect to its distribution to Welsh Local Authorities.
Perhaps there is something to discuss in relation to reducing the number of local authorities in Wales and perhaps consolidating financial management of different approaches to battling local budgets.
It would be easy to do. Parliament publishes the council with the lowest increase across the UK. The Welsh Assembly can then be legally bound to monitor council tax increase across #Wales to ensure no council increase CT by X% + 1%.
If the Welsh council do not like it – TOUGH! If the WGA does not like it – TOUGH!
Money can always be saved by privatising Meals on Wheels, and cutting funding for stupid pet projects – community centre grants and community councils is a good starting point.
It is a pity that someone with experience of operating in a highly efficient local government has not been given the opportunity to get inside CCBC and cut out the fat. Getting rid of many of the Officers and rationalising the management structures would be a good place to start. The problem is that the Officers are the true gatekeepers and are actually controlling the council, not the Labour and Plaid Councillors who seem to be beyond inept.
Ian, your proposition would mean Turkeys voting or Christmas.
It should, but will not happen.