Council Tax rise to get final go-ahead as all 52 councillors set to vote on Wednesday

A final decision on proposed budget cuts and an increase of over five per cent on council tax will be made next week.

All 52 councillors will have the chance to vote, if they attend, on Wednesday 20th February on the ‘Revenue Budget and Council Tax Settings’ for the next financial year.

In January Wrexham.com reported that executive board members had unanimously backed plans to increase council tax by 5.5 per cent, along with a series of other savings and a review into the borough’s library services.

The council tax change will mean the average bill for a Band D property will rise to £1,153 with some other community charges yet to be decided on top.

The changes were agreed as part of the agreed net budget of £236,853,291 – with £61,601,358 expected to be raised in council tax in 2019/20.

Wednesday’s meeting will be the first time the other 42 councillors will have the chance to cast their vote either in favour or against the proposed budget cuts and council tax changes, and for those who did not attend previous meetings it will be the first time some could have their say.

Previous years have seen attempts to put forward an ‘alternative budget’ by opposition councillors however at the time of writing there has been no indication as to whether this will be the case, with a ‘one council’ style buzzword being used by many indicating the council working at times as more of a collective.

Over the past five years Wrexham Council have made savings of £33.8m and nearly £60m since the economic crisis in 2007/08.

Speaking last month Council Leader Mark Pritchard said a ‘heart searching political discussion’ took place between the administration groups made up of independents and conservatives on Wrexham Council to agree the tax rise.

There was also a warning from the council’s Chief Executive Ian Bancroft that there is “no money in the bank for 2021” with potentially even tougher decisions on the horizon in future budgets.

Up the road in Flintshire the rise is due to be 8.5%, Anglesey could hit 10%, Powys 9.5% and Denbighshire 6.4% if all proposed rises are passed.

Those interested in viewing the meeting in person can do so at 4pm on Wednesday 20th February at the Guildhall. The meeting will also be webcast live on the Wrexham Council website.