Council Tax for 2008/09

     



Council tax for an average band D home in Shepway looks likely to rise by less than £1 a month.

A meeting of Shepway Council's Cabinet on Wednesday (13 February) will be considering proposed capital and revenue budgets for the year, which will help set council tax levels.

The council needs to find just under £20m to run its services in 2008/09. Some of this will be financed through a government grant, some will come from the charges it makes - leaving just over £10m to be met through council tax.

This will mean that the ‘Shepway-only' share of the council tax - before parish and town council costs are taken into account - will be £228.18 a year, a 4.7 per cent increase on the 2007/08 figure of £217.94.

If agreed by Cabinet, the figures will go to a meeting of the full council on 21 February which will set the budget and the council tax level for the year ahead.

Cllr David Monk, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "We have worked hard to keep our increase as low as possible. We believe £228.18 a year for an average band D property represents very good value for money when you consider the services we provide. When people get their council tax bills they should remember that Shepway gets only 16 per cent of the total. We collect the rest for Kent County Council, Kent Police Authority, Kent Fire and Rescue Services and for our town and parish councils."