Garff Commissioners debate rate setting at latest public meeting

Thursday, 11 January 2024 07:48

By Local Democracy Reporter - Emma Draper

Members could increase the authority by 15 per cent

Residents in Garff could face a rates rise of up to 15 per cent this year after the board discussed its finances for the year ahead.

Last night, the local authority met to consider its budget, which included talks about setting the rate and approving audited accounts.

Board members had a long debate about how much to put the rates up by.

Clerk Martin Royle explained that the rates and budget had been calculated with an 11 per cent increase.

However, the commissioners discussed whether 12.5, 14 or 15 per cent would be better for both the residents and the funds of the local authority.

Commissioner Aishlinn Creer said that for some people the increase would be ‘a lot’ if it goes up by 15 per cent.

If the rates were to go up by 15 per cent, an officer said it would be about £80 more per household than the last financial year.

That money goes towards hedge cutting, refuse collections and maintaining parks and public toilets amongst other things.

Other costs the local authority dealt with was the increase of waste fees at the Eastern Civic Amenity Site and Northern Civic Amenity Site.

A tender has gone out at the new ECAS and the cost for local authorities is going up by 6.6 per cent.

Garff Commissioners says this would amount to more than £51,000 for them to pay for its residents to use the site.

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