Council Tax 3% Rise
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In England over the term of this parliament any Council Tax Rise over 2% has had to be approved by a local referendum, here in Wales our Councils are not bound by such restrictions.Year on year our increase has been over 2% and this year is no exception. We are told inflation is now only 0.5% and yet here we are again facing a 3.0% increase. Many pundits are speaking of the woes of deflation, no fear, it isn’t coming to Wrexham Council anytime soon!
Crucially we are having to pay for significantly less services whilst having to pay the increase– so a double hit
All public institutions seem to have a different inflation rate to the rest of us. What they do not realise is that whilst most of us are on zero or very minimal pay increases and/or are on shorter hours they think they are doing us a favour by restraining the increase to 3%.
Cuts in operating budgets,reduction in services,staff reductions and this well organised (ha) council decides to increase the council tax once again.
Have to ask with all the above happening what justification is there in increasing again our council tax.
Do they look at us like ‘cash cows’ as I have not had a pay rise in the last 3 years and I think this year I could be lucky with 0.5% yet year on year Wrexham has continued to up the council tax.
Are they aware that if the froze the tax it would help a lot of people but this is Wrexham Council with the blinkered view of take,take and take again.I will quite happily pay for additional council tax rates on the following conditions:
1. Household waste bins are emptied weekly instead of fortnightly. The bins around some parts of this estate are disgusting, especially the big “skip” like ones. When the skips are full, people put their bags of rubbish at the side which leads to rats and god knows what else. The bags get ripped open by the neighbourhood cats and any foxes etc that like to come up from the woods behind us.
2. More police patrols walking the streets. People may feel safer, particularly after dark if there is a bigger police presence. We’re supposed to have SPSO’s who are specific to this area.. I have been here nearly 4 years and never seen them once.
3. Increase in services offered. If I’m paying more, then there should be more available, right?
The harsh reality is, as has been said, we pay more, and we get less. I don’t know how many council houses there are in Wrexham county but if they are all paying just short of £1000 a year on council tax, like I am, they are making an absolute fortune surely? Or are there more people having reduced payments than ever before meaning that we all have to pay more to make up the shortfall?
Looks like Wrexham Council rates base for 2014/15 was £965 while in Flintshire it was £988 , that doesn’t include the Police and Community Council precepts. So a Flintshire amalgamation could see us paying even higher rates !,
A like for like comparison without looking at the variation of services and quality is quite risky. I appreciate that figures /data can be viewed in a variety of ways and for different purpose.
We all need to see a proper comparison of services looking at which are better and in which county as there are bound to be a mix and match.Crime commissioner backs above-inflation increase for police precept – Daily Post
Here is another organisation that has a different rate of inflation to the rest of us. No doubt we will be held to ransom again, with the threats of reduced policing.
As ratepayers are investor and consumers of services in a County Council why can’t they be treated the same as an investor in a business and have the opportunity at an AGM to question the Board of Directors – would this not help with local Government transparency.
Why can’t the Council executive Board have an open meeting that the public can attend to ask questions..The real problem here appears to be that no political party in Wrexham runs for election on the basis of No Community charge increase. This seems odd but when you actually get down to the realities of who pays what in terms of Charge and who wins the local elections, the picture starts to get clearer
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