NTC Service Budget, brace yourself for an 11% increase in the precept Options

[Iommi]

The problem with the councillor's job, is that they are simply not allowed to make mistakes and the 'customers' are utterly unforgiving. The best thing they can do is shut-up and take the bung wage.

[Simon Kirby]

Newbury Town Council's full draft budget is now published ready for approval at Monday's Council meeting.

The precept goes up 1.4%, which with a 1.4% increase in the town's population means a zero percentage rise in the household tax bill.

Total costs (staff plus running costs) are up 4.0%, and service revenues fall 4.2%, so with just a 1.4% increase in the precept the budget is balanced largely from reserves with a small contribution from sale of assets.

With a £3.2k increase in running costs and £2.0k reduction in revenue the cost of running the charter market increases 20% for the average household and now costs the Town Council £21k nett to run.

The household cost of the Town Council's grants goes up 15% with several new grants, most significant of which is a £3.5k pot for the Big Society.

Committee expenditure, which includes amoung other things the cost of councillors' travel and subsistence expenses, goes up by 21%. No indication yet that the Town Council is to limit the councillors' generous 60p/mile milage allowance to below the non-taxable threashold of 40p/mile set by HMRC.

Funding for the Young People's Council is cut by 50%, and with a significant cut in the maintenance budget the allotment service will cost the average tax-payer 13% less to run.


An alternative budget might include:
Self-management of allotments, saving maybe 75k,
Handing the Christmas Lights over to the TCP, saving maybe 50k
Letting a management company run the charter market, saving around 20k,
Doing without a mayor and civic duties, saving around 60k