Parish council defends 35.6 per cent tax hike
‘We are in an inflationary situation and we do have things we’re responsible for’
KINGSCLERE parish council has defended itself against accusations it has “lost touch” with its residents after increasing its portion of council tax by almost 36 per cent.
Richard Smith, the former chairman of the parish council until July 2012, said he was “astonished” by the rise.
Basingstoke and Deane residents pay council tax to five different bodies – the parish, borough and county councils, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority and Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
This year saw a council tax increase of £74 for Band D properties in Kingsclere, taking the total amount to £1,891.55.
And £13.76 of the increase is from the Kingsclere precept – which increased from £38.62 to £52.38 a year – a 26p a week increase.
This follows smaller increases of 6.04 per cent, 4.39 per cent and 2.08 per cent in the last three years.
In a letter to council chairman John Sawyer, Mr Smith said: “Having received my council tax bill for 2022-2023, I am astonished to see that your council has raised its charge on the taxpayer this year by a staggering 35.6 per cent.
“At a time when people are struggling to put food on the table, when energy prices are spiralling and when the people you are meant to serve are finding it hard to cover their basic costs, you as a council sat down and voted to give yourselves a 35.6 per cent increase in your budget.
“You appear to be presiding
over a council that has lost touch with the reality facing your constituents.”
Mr Smith also queried what the council had done to reduce its spending – questioning the need for a village litter-picker, an assistant clerk and continuing to pay rent for the council office in George Street, arguing the clerk could work from home.
The village’s litter picker is funded through a borough council grant.
However, Mr Sawyer defended the budget, saying the council was working from a “fairly low base” and historically rises in the council’s precept had been “minute”.
He said: “We’ve been able to cushion inflation and other cost rises with our reserves, and the big ticket items over the last five years have been bought out of reserves.
“But we are in an inflationary situation and we do have things we’re responsible for.
“We have 14 acres of land to maintain which belongs to us, and we have a mowing and maintenance contract.
“The contract came up for renewal and all the quotes were significantly higher than what we’d been paying.
“This is the reality of where we are.”
Mr Sawyer acknowledged the percentage increase looked “really ugly” but that the council had thought “long and hard” and had difficult decisions to make, but that it had to make sure the council was sustainable in the future.
He said the council had reduced its council tax burden by shifting costs for allotments and the cemetery to the users rather than tax payers.
Mr Sawyer added that he “didn’t understand” what Mr Smith meant by his accusation that the council had lost touch with its residents, saying he was also a tax payer and was in contact with a lot of the villagers.
An explanation of the increase is available on the parish council
You appear to be presiding over a council that has lost touch with the reality facing your constituents