Sandown residents will face a 5% council tax precept rise from April, on top of the 2.99% Isle of Wight Council rise, the Police precept rise and the fire service precept rise.
The move was decided at the Sandown Town Council meeting on Monday.
The average taxpayer, Band D, will have to fork out an extra £6.80 a year — or 13p a week — moving from £138.90 to £145.70.
A call to cut a £1,000 mayoral allowance was rejected. Councillor Alex Lightfoot said he thought it had been used for pet projects and said it was not democratic.
The increase will pay for more CCTV at The Broadway Centre and Sandham Gardens, after high levels of anti-social behaviour.
Elsewhere, £39,500 will fund beach safety – a new lifeboat, lifeguard equipment, training, hut and services.
Sandown mayor, Cllr Lightfoot, said no one had wanted to put the precept up, but “living in the real world” meant inflation was hitting the town council and its costs and services, the same as everyone else. He said if the council did not increase its precept by 5% it was effectively cutting things.
The precept has not risen for Sandown residents in the past 2 years.
Money has also been set aside for a possible Sandown-based planning enforcement officer. Some argued it was needed, but that it was the Isle of Wight Council’s duty to carry out the enforcement and should not be locally funded.
Councillor Emily Brothers said while good things were included the budget, it did not address inequality and environmental challenges.
Cllr Alex Lightfoot recognised it was going to be a ‘very challenging year’. He said:
“[The clerks] have worked hard to get the precept as low as we can, while being practical about ensuring we have the provisions we need, so we can replace things when they break.
“It is a challenging, but very good budget.”
11 councillors backed the increase.
11 councillors backed the increase.
Of course they did it increases the available pot for them to claim expenses from.
as so many in sandown are claiming benefits and therefore having their tax paid by the state, this is effectively a way of getting more cash from the state, whilst punishing and penalising those that are working and paying their way.
instead of looking for ways to increase spending, how about you make some cuts – comes as no surprise that the £1,000 mayoral allowance cut was rejected – turkeys don’t vote for xmas.
That £1,000 mayoral slush fund is paid for by 147 band D houses at £6.80 increase this year each.
Ive said to people before stage sit in in the offices. Make them listen, become a immovable object en masse and show them you wont be held hostages to all these rises that are coming thick and fast. Easier to be used like a pay-pig though that do anything about it.
Would almost be acceptable but Sandown Shanklin and the bay area probably generate most money in East Wight through private dwelling and business rates being densely populated with the exception of Ryde along with all the parking charges through the summer… Why then is there so little spent in Sandown..the towns neglected and the esplanade is becoming a joke!!the Sandown volunteers and green party etc are keeping it afloat at almost no cost to IOW or the town council..
Enough is enough let’s see rates money collected in the bay area being spent in the bay area …