Monmouthshire Council Approves Nearly £2,500 Council Tax Bill for Affluent Gwent County

A “TYPICAL” band D home in Gwent’s most affluent county will face a total council tax bill of nearly £2,500 from April. 
A 5.95 per cent increase in council tax, which works out at £108.19 extra a year towards county council services on a band D bill, was only approved on the casting vote of Peter Strong, the Labour chairman of Monmouthshire County Council. 
Councillors were tied at 22 all after the vote at the council’s March meeting at County Hall, Usk but the increase was agreed and final demands will also include precepts added by town and community councils and Gwent Police. 
The council’s Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby said the budget was designed to “do the best for Monmouthshire” and the Labour/Green Party cabinet had responded to comments made during its consultation such as putting a further £2m in capital funding, over three years, to repair potholes. 
“When residents tell us something isn’t good enough we act,” said the Llanelli Hil councillor who also outlined an extra £1m for school budgets, for a second consecutive year, and increased funding for social care. 
Conservative opposition leader Richard John however questioned the administration’s support for those struggling to meet household bills. 
He said: “How can you claim to care about the cost of living?” 
The Mitchell Troy and Trellech councillor said: “Your proposed council tax increase brings a Band D property up to almost £2,500 including the precept that Cllr Jane Mudd, the part-time Police and Crime Commissioner is imposing for next year.” 
Ms Mudd is a Labour councillor in Newport alongside holding the directly elected post of Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner in which she proposed a revised 6.95 per cent increase in the police precept after her original 6.99 rise was rejected by the police and crime panel. Cllr John said the small adjustment was an “insult”. 
Figures produced by Monmouthshire council show the highest band D bills for all three elements of council tax in the county will be in Abergavenny, at £2,466.96, closely followed by Chepstow at £2,464.58. The lowest band D bills are in Cllr John’s Mitchell Troy ward at £2,348.32 which is 14 pence cheaper than bills in Llanarth. 
Variation is due to the different amounts charged by town and community councils but in reality most householders in Monmouthshire will see higher bills as there are more homes in the bands above band D. 
During the budget debate Labour’s Ben Callard, the cabinet member for finance, said there were no service cuts, with libraries, community hubs and leisure centres all remaining open and no changes to waste collections. 
He said: “The budget protects what matters, strengthens where must and protects Monmouthshire for the future.” 
Cllr John criticised use of capital receipts, from property sales, which he claimed will “prop up day to day spending” and what he said is a reliance on short term grants: “That’s not planning that’s gambling”. 
Independent group leader, Magor councillor Frances Taylor, said she remained concerned at the council’s overall level of reserves and only one scrutiny committee, rather than individual subject committees, scrutinising the budget in January and February. 
Chepstow Bulwark and Thornwell member Armand Watts said seeing councils make cuts is “difficult” for Labour councillors but said: “I’m proud to say one thing we haven’t cut back is our libraries. I’m really genuinely pleased to say that on International Book Day.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​