Town councillors have this week approved a small 1.89% increase in council tax bills across Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge in a bid to help residents feeling the financial pinch.
Despite the increasing cost of providing public services in the towns, members of the Town Council’s Policy and Finance Committee proposed the small budget increase, which was unanimously at a full council meeting this week.
Under the proposals, the Town Council’s total precept for the financial year 2014-2015 will amount to £554,199. With the tax base adjustment, the increase for an average Band D property in Burnham and Highbridge will amount to around £1.50 per year.
In an effort to restrict the increase on tax payers, the council has also decided to cut its grants budget over the coming year by £10,000 to £30,000.
Mayor Martin Cox said: “I congratulate the Policy and Finance Committee on keeping the rate of increase as low as possible to help residents in Burnham and Highbridge.”
The decision comes during a week when Somerset County Council’s Cabinet has also given its approval to savings proposals of £6m and a freeze in Council Tax.
