Precept/Budget 2017/18
Wymeswold Parish Council receives the majority of its funding from the ‘precept’ which is one element of the council tax charge levied on the dwellings in the parish.
In 2016/17 the precept represented 2.44% of the overall charge householders paid. This equated to a cost of between 47p and £1.42 per week (dependent upon the council tax band at which your dwelling is rated).
Our funding is spent in a variety of ways, the majority being spent to maintain and keep the areas we are responsible for in the parish (These include the Washdyke, Playing fields, Cemetery, Churchyard and Children’s play areas)
Each year the Parish Council calculates the funding it requires for the coming year. For 2017/18 the budget setting process has seen a number of areas where we will be encountering increased levels of expenditure. Therefore we will need to increase the precept required meaning that the parish precept element of the 2017/18 council tax charges will be increasing.
We have looked to streamline our expenditure where possible but still have 3 main areas of increased expenditure. These are:
· Increased mowing costs. We have re-let the parish mowing contracts for a 3 year period following a tender process. Whilst we contracted with the most economically advantageous suppliers the annual costs have increased. We have increased the grass verge cuts and the cemetery as well as St Marys’ Churchyard will be box mown rather than strimmed.
· Auto enrolment and work based pensions.
· Increased utility costs.
The increase of precept will be just over £4,500 which will mean an average increase in precept charge of between 9 and 27 pence per week depending on your dwelling Council Tax banding. Whilst this is an increase, as a Parish Council we feel that it represents a warranted level of increase.
The next meeting of Wymeswold Parish Council will be held on Monday 6th March 2017 in the Sports Pavilion, Burton Lane, Wymeswold, starting at 7:00pm. All parishioners are welcome to attend.
Alice Gardam
Clerk to Wymeswold Parish Council
Tel 01509 881664