Market Drayton Town Council votes for 3 per cent council tax rise
Council tax payers in Market Drayton will be asked to stump up 3 per cent more for town council services when the new bills go out in April.
The town's amount will be added to the demands of Shropshire Council, the police and fire service to make the total council tax bill in the new finance year.
Market Drayton Town Councillors discussed the 2022/23 budget at a meeting of the full town council on Thursday evening.
Town clerk Sue Thomas told the meeting that to completely close a projected £20,000 budget shortfall the elected members would have to increase the tax by 4.114 per cent. But a 3 per cent increase was proposed. Last year the council froze its charge and saw costs increase during covid.
The council has a little over £250,000 in rainy day reserves and councillors discussed what an acceptable level of reserves should be. The town clerk said they needed between three and six months money in the bank.
"The concern I would have is that we will carry this shortfall into next year," said the town clerk, worrying that with increasing costs the budget gap would widen.
A majority of councillors voted for a 3 per cent increase in their element of the council tax, which will give the council a total budget of £583,076.
A 4.114 per cent increase in council tax would have meant increasing the average band D property charge by £5.12 from £124.48 to £129.60 per annum.
