A 90% hike in the Council Tax precept in Lake has been approved — the first rise in 4 years.
Lake Parish Council promises it will give long-term stability — after it paid for repairs to public toilets.
The majority of councillors voted to approve the budget, with Councillor Jenny Hicks objecting to the increase. The increase was agreed on Thursday night at a parish council meeting and will see a Band D household move from paying £51.83 to £98.50 a year.
Speaking at the meeting, chair Councillor Paul Brading said it had been a careful juggling act to get to where they are. He said Lake Parish Council was in a very tight position and had just survived the financial year and that vandalism to the New Road toilets had come at a heavy cost, he said.
Of the budget, 15% (£30,000) had been spent on repairs.
Replacement toilets, hopefully to be installed in the coming year, will mean a saving, including in the cost of water and electricity.
Councillor Brading said it was a very tough budget and councillors were really aware of the impact on residents. He said there was high pressure on the parish council’s reserves and it needed to make sure it had put aside money to cover its assets.
The matter of hanging baskets was raised by Councillor Adrian Whittaker, who said he would have liked to see them included in the budget, whilst Councillor Brading said the council was paying an absolute fortune (£4,000) to get someone to water them.
The watering contract will be renegotiated in the coming financial year and he said he was sure the hanging baskets would be back next year.
The increase will come into effect from 1st April, 2023, along with any increase to the Isle of Wight Council tax, police and fire precept.
Someone has to pay for the damage the feral children do. And one thing is a certainty, it won’t be from the non council tax paying parent, or more rarely parents of such.
So when you are donating food to feed such families who are already getting thousands to breed more, think, and put any charity donation in an animal charity box instead.
4 k to water
Heres a novel idea. Why don’t the councillors do it rather than being at home so called working. They would get a lot of respect from doing something like this and there’s enough if them to crack on and help us out
Sack the entire council, Wendy Perera, it’s failing in your watch. Shame on you all.
Parasites killing their host
£4000 to water plants I will do it for £3500