February 13, 2019 - 1304 views
Residents in Conwy are expected to see an increase in their council tax bills of 9.6% rather than a predicted 11.6% if proposals are agreed by the full Conwy County Borough Council later this month.
At a meeting last night members were reminded about the duty and responsibility to set a balanced budget that allows services to respond to the service demands they face.
Cllr Sam Rowlands said, "As predicted, the budget for 2019/20 continues to be one of the most difficult budgets this Authority has had to balance. Since October we’ve set a clear path for a combination of budget cuts and a council tax rise, which we’re continuing to move forward with.”
He said: “We want to give everyone in Conwy and those who use our services the best possible help and support so they can live their lives well. Nationally, we have an ageing population – this is something to embrace as older people have an important role to play in our community.
“The majority of our budget goes to schools and social care and we need to ensure we can deliver the best possible services for these groups in the current, challenging financial climate.”
“There are pressures outside our control, such as increases in care costs, reductions in specific grants; alongside increasing costs and increasing demand for services.
“We will need to cut our cloth to meet the shortfall caused by the settlement from Welsh Government, but this alone will not meet the funding deficit. There will be a need to consider an increase in council tax which, based on a Band D property, could mean an increase of around £2.16 a week.
“These are not decisions taken lightly but are essential to protect those people who need the Council’s services the most,” added Cllr Rowlands.
Cabinet recommend the balanced budget and Council Tax increase for 2019/20 to the Council on 28th February.
