Ratepayers in town set for another increase in council tax
LLANELLI ratepayers will see another increase in council tax following the decision of the Labour-run town council to increase council tax again this year.
This follows last year’s decision to increase the council tax precept by a record-breaking 54% last year – although this year’s rise is a lot lower.
At that time, it was one of the biggest year-on-year increases for ratepayers set by a town or community council within the county, five times over the rate of inflation, and saw the contribution of a Band D property rising from £106.26 to £163.55.
At a meeting on Monday, February, 19, Labour leader on the council Cllr David Darkin proposed the amount that Llanelli Town Council will take from its ratepayers should rise from £1,450,000 to £1,500,000 in the next financial year 2024-25, leading to a further tax increase of 1.64% for residents living within the Llanelli Town area.
The rise equates to £2.68 a year for a Band D property, at just over 5p per week.
It comes on top of the proposed county council tax rises, as well as increased police and fire service precepts.
Opposition councillors on the town council argued that given the betterthan-expected budget settlement presented, there was scope to freeze the council tax for the forthcoming financial year without having any impact at all on the delivery of the council’s services.
However, Labour argued the lowerthan-inflation 1.64% rise will enable council services to be maintained.
An amendment was put forward by Independent Cllr Sean Rees to set the precept at a level which would have ensured a freeze in the amount of tax paid by residents, especially given the impact of the ongoing recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the current cost-of-living crisis and continued financial hardship which many Llanelli families are continuing to endure to make ends meet.
The amendment was seconded by Plaid’s Cllr Terry Davies.
All Labour councillors at the meeting voted against the amendment and therefore a freeze was not agreed.
Instead, the original motion was then put forward by leader Cllr Darkin to increase tax and it was passed with the support of all Labour councillors, while all opposition councillors voted against it.
Opposition councillors have also continued to express concern that for the first time in the council’s history, town councillors can claim a daily £30 attendance allowance regardless of how many meetings or committees they attend or how long they last.
This decision was passed by the ruling Labour group despite them not having to agree to the recommendations put forward by the Remuneration Panel for Wales.
Opposition councillors who voted against the council tax increase and for a freeze were Cllr Michael Cranham, Cllr Amanda Carter, Cllr Terry Davies, Cllr John Jones, Cllr Sean Rees and Cllr Louvain Roberts.
In response Labour accused those opposing the council tax rate of “quibbling hostility” by quoting costof-living pressures for an alternative standstill budget, which Labour claimed would have meant cutting services.
Cllr Darkin, said: “I can’t help but feel that the Independents and Cllr Rees were making a meal of it all, grandstanding, when our efficient running of the council means a lowerthan-inflation rise for the forthcoming year.
“We have managed to improve our parks, create vastly modernised and improved changing rooms at Penygaer, where we have transformed an old building into a modern community hub, and we have exciting plans for a new £400,000 community centre at Penyfan.
“We also have an extensive programme of sports and youth activities throughout the council area which the previous administration could not achieve.”
Cllr Darkin praised the “safe stewardship” of council funds and “financial savvy” of the ruling administration in successfully applying for hundreds of thousands of pounds of Welsh Government grants.
Elli ward councillor Nick Pearce said: “I think it’s important to remember that inflation, the cost of living, affects the council the same as it does everything else. We will continue to deliver a progressive upgrading of the town council’s services with an increase that is much lower than the rate of inflation.
“The opposition wants to throw the council into reverse gear and I don’t know why that is.
“I really would be interested to know if our Plaid town councillor voted against the 7% increase that his party has imposed at county level.”
Deputy leader Cllr Andre McPherson said budget cuts would have risked key services and questioned if the opposition wanted the council to cut its contributions to food banks.
Cllr McPherson said: “Set against a Plaid-run Carmarthenshire Council tax rise of about 7.5%, and a Plaid-led Dyfed Powys Police precept rise of over 6%, both of which will add a lot to people’s bills, our 5p a week rise is much less significant.”