District tax claim frozen
The amount of council tax demanded by Newark and Sherwood District Council for the services it provides has been frozen at last year’s level.
It is the first time in 22 years there has not been a district increase.
A full meeting of the council on Monday agreed to set the tax for a Band D property at £163.48 — the same as this financial year.
Overall council tax will still go up as the Nottinghamshire County Council demand will rise by 3% to £1,193.18 for Band D; the police authority tax will go up 4.9% to £152.82; the fire authority’s will rise by 3.5% to £67.73 and the tax set by town and parish councils will be added to that.
It means Newark council taxpayers face an overall bill of £1,680.03, an increase of £50.03. The bill remains the second highest in the district, just behind Ollerton and Boughton residents who will have to pay £1,687.05.
Residents in Southwell will be asked for £1,619.86 for a Band D home while Balderton householders face a bill of £1,656.53.
The leader of the district council, Mr Tony Roberts, said they made savings while still providing the services expected by taxpayers.
He said 11 staff would be taking voluntary redundancy and a staffing review meant the council would be employing 38 fewer people.
Mr Roberts said they would set aside £150,000 in a new development and management fund to allow the council some flexibility in what it wanted to do.
He said they would do what they could to help ease problems caused by the economy, but the council was not a miracle worker and they remained unconvinced that the introduction of free parking, wanted by some traders, would boost business.
“We will be lowering the price of parking in Newark for the first hour and freezing the charge for the second, which we hope will support town-centre businesses,” he said.
Labour and the Independents supported the budget. Four Liberal Democrat councillors voted against it.
The leader of the Lib Dems, Mr Brendan Haigh, said more savings should have been found.
He said too much money was spent on the council’s communications department and the council should make more use of its website.
He also highlighted the money spent on tourist information offices in Ollerton and Newark and suggested the council should use volunteers to help run them as in Southwell.
Mr Roberts said they had been criticised in the past for poor communications and were striving to improve that area of the council’s work.
He said tourism was very important and volunteers could not be expected to give the same commitment as paid workers.
