Meeting to discuss steep council tax rises in Pembrokeshire
One option is a 20% council tax increase - adding hundreds of pounds to bills.
A potential Pembrokeshire council tax rise of as much as 21 per cent has been described as “a kick in the teeth for hard working families across Pembrokeshire”.
Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on February 12, are asked to recommend one of three options for a council tax increase, ranging 16.31 per cent, 18.94 per cent, and an eye-watering 20.98 per cent increase.
These increases would increase the annual council tax rate by £219.02, £254.34, and £281.73 respectively to the average Band D property.
Pembrokeshire is currently facing a projected funding gap of £31.9m, partly due to a lower-than-expected Provisional Local Government Settlement.
That figure has increased from £27.1m in December, and £28.4m in January, when it was described as “by far the highest funding gap in our history,” by Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance Cllr Alec Cormack.
Pembrokeshire currently has the lowest basic Band D Council Tax in Wales, at £1,342.86 a year for 2023-’24, compared to Ceredigion’s £1,553.60 and Carmarthenshire’s £1,490.97.
The latest proposed increases would see the basic part of those bills rise to £1,561.98, £1597.30, and £1,624.69 respectively.
In a report before Cabinet members, the three general council tax options are outlined, with warnings that challenging cuts to council expenditure would still have to be made, even with these huge increases.
The final decision on the council tax level will be made by full council when it sets the annual budget on March 7.
Neighbouring Ceredigion is recommended to increase its council tax by up to 13.9 per cent, with the final decision there made on February 29th.