Residents in Caerphilly County Borough are facing a 4.52% hike in council tax from April next year.
At a meeting being held today, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet will also consider cuts of around £7.2 million as part of next year’s budget for the local authority.
If councillors agree to the draft budget, it will be opened to a public consultation before it is finally agreed in the new year.
Cllr Dave Poole, leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, said: “We were one of the Welsh councils that had the biggest cut in its grant from Welsh Government, but we continue to work hard to minimise the impact of financial cuts on local residents. In fact, over half of the £7.2m proposed savings for next year will not have a direct impact on the public.
“These savings will be achieved through, for example, vacancy management, minor structural reviews and procedural changes to service provision within the council.
“We will continue to do our best 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 some difficult decisions over the next few years,” he added.
“The council will soon be undertaking a far-reaching public consultation, and I would encourage as many residents as possible to get involved and have their say so that we can define our priorities and deliver a budget that matches the needs and aspirations of our communities.”
Savings identified by the council include slashing £524,000 from the highways maintenance budget, while £333,000 will be cut from school building maintenance.
Other areas affected include a £137,000 reduction in the council’s Community Regeneration Fund, which allows voluntary groups to bid for project funding, and a £25,000 reduction in the budget for new library books.
Charges that could be brought in for residents include a £20 fee per household for rat control and a £16 charge to dispose of one to three items of bulky waste.
If agreed by the cabinet, the budget consultation will run from November 20, until January 8, 2018. The feedback will then be considered as part of the final budget report which will be presented to the council in the New Year.
No surprises here for the long suffering council tax payer.I think there needs to be a serious assessment made of senior officer pay, events and items of dubious value such as ‘safety wardens’.
I totally agree Richard,we want our money spent wisely and not on dubious services and events – but I think we know the Powers that be,in Caerphilly Council will ramble on as they always have done – continuing to ignore the views of us council tax payers and they will continue to waste our money.
It’s about time they accepted that it is us who pay for the services they provide and actually carry out our wishes.
If we were investing our money in a private company I am sure we would be withdrawing our investment.
Very true its very unilkely that the council tax will not raise again next year so lets look at the departments like you say the safety wardens and get rid of them so that in the next few years we only hope that the tax raise wont be as high as it could be. We need a cull of high paid managers and managers that are not needed to save money. All this is Labours fault and they played a clever trick to woo voters.
I saw these wardens out a few times this last week, always sat in a car staring at their phones, value for money i think not!!!
I suspect you are right, I cannot think of any reason why the council, or the community that funds this via their tax payments. need safety wardens.
We are being hit with this massive council tax rise to pay for last years election bribe of only a 1% rise in our council tax, and the gullible Labour votes went and fell for it – oh dear how easy it is for Liebour to buy votes, and there were even Labour votes praising their beloved party for their expert financial efficiency that resulted in a generous and very small 1% increase in council tax that we should all be thankful for – well I saw this one coming, if any Caerphilly taxpaying residents didn’t see a huge hike in council tax coming they need a check up from the neck up!
Yes, you did say this would happen – bang on!
This was so obvious this was going to happen. I think we all knew this expect for the Labour voters who fell hook line and sinker for Labour lies.
Well no real surprise here then is there. Anyone with a micro gram of common sense could work this out. Bearing in mind this is only a proposal increase. Also there will be a public consultation on this soon. As if that will make any difference, as those in power do not listen to the people in the first place.
The article says that it will protect front line services, well, legally they have to. It also suggests that less money will be spent on roads, schools and library books to save money. Are these just some of the things that are important to the residents of Caerphilly, or is it just me thinking this way. I mean do we not need well maintained roads to get to work and business, along with schools to invest in our children, they are the next generation after all. Yes the previous years of low increase in council tax should be questioned for its reasoning. In addition I believe that we should be asking are we getting value for our money, because I believe we are not.
Another thing that concerns me is peoples ability to be able to afford the increases in the first place. I know several younger people who will struggle to pay extra. But then no one really cares about that do they. I believe that Labour is not the peoples party for the people, they are just a joke. People had their chance but chose to re elect incompetent fools back into power.
You have sown the seeds, now reap the rewards. Have a nice day.
Yep spot on there, a vote for Liebour is a vote to be constantly and mercilessly hammered with tax increase after tax increase, Labour’s answer to everything is to increase taxation on everybody, whether they be rich or poor, old or young, Caerphilly residents as well as the Welsh voters had the chance to boot them out, yet they voted the clowns back in again, it beggars belief.
The Public Consultation will be a joke – the decisions will have already been made.
As you say – they will totally ignore the public opinion.
I agree the arrogance of the council is beyond a joke. They already know what departments/services will be cut. Consulting the public is a publicity stunt by this Labour council, more lies.