Salisbury City Council tax precept to rise 44%
The authority's set their Budget for the next financial year
Salisbury residents are set to pay an extra £102 from April, just to cover City Council's precept on the council tax bill.
The average band D property will pay £335 a year - up from £233 last year - that's a 44% increase.
The City Council's portion of the tax bill goes towards services like parks, crematoriums, public toilets, allotments, public events and some car parks.
In a statement, the Leaders of the Council, Cllr Victoria Charleston, Cllr Ian Tomes and Cllr Annie Riddle, explained why the rise is needed:
“This is not a party political budget. It is a balanced budget. The city council’s reserves cannot be raided. They are already at the minimum level, and must be rebuilt.
"Like households and businesses everywhere in this economic crisis, we face hugely increased costs. Ours include the management of assets such as the Poultry Cross, where insurance will not cover all the repairs found to be needed after last year’s car crash, and upgrading our public toilets and playgrounds.
"There is a significant increase in our staffing budget because we have taken on grounds and streetscene staff from former Wiltshire Council contractors idVerde, who used to work alongside our own teams. We will no longer have to pay the firm and contribute to its profits. This had all-party support because it will be more efficient and makes long-term financial sense.
"In the short term we have to buy vehicles for this team, and because we have chosen to be ‘green’ they will be dearer than their fossil fuel equivalents. We will be holding some posts vacant for now to save £70,000.
"Since our previous budget in January 2022, we’ve had an increase of 223% in our electricity charges, 208% on gas and 50% on water and sewerage. Combined, these take our utility bills over half a million pounds.
"We’ve had a nationally agreed pay rise for staff averaging 8%, with another 4% allowed for in the next financial year. Our insurance has more than doubled to £160,000. And we’re facing an unknown rise in business rates in April. We also have to pay higher employers’ pension contributions – up from 11.1 to 13.7%.
"We are not funding any fancy new projects. We are maintaining much-needed community services such as the Pantry and looking at co-working with a charity to reduce our overheads. We have reduced or cut entirely spending on other things which are not our core responsibility, such as city centre security guards, policing of litter louts, and public art.
"We have cut £10,000 from the Neighbourhood Plan budget, reduced spending on floral displays, ringroad cleansing, the Future Salisbury group which promotes the city, and on our Christmas and summer events budget (down 10%)."
The move has angered Salisbury's MP John Glen though - in a tweet about the precept rise, he said:
"I am disappointed by the decision of Salisbury City Council’s administration to pass the budget last night with a 44% tax rise. When household incomes are being squeezed, an extra £102 tax bill from their parish council is the last thing Salisbury residents need."