Denbighshire County Council has set its budget for the 2010/2011 financial year and have agreed the council tax budget which will increase by 2.5% – expected to be one of the lowest increases in North Wales. This does not include the precept for town and community councils and for North Wales Police.
In December 2009, the Welsh Assembly Government announced an increase of 2% in funding being made available to local authorities and the Council, at its meeting at County Hall, Ruthin today (Tuesday), agreed its budget of £138,107 million for the next financial year.
Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “The council has worked hard to keep the council tax increase to an absolute minimum as Denbighshire taxpayers have told us time and time again that this is what they want.
“We have identified £2.2 million in savings which have been achieved with the minimum impact on front line services. We have also increased resources by £3.2 million which has been made available to the Council’s agreed priorities: improving education, responding to the change in population, improving flood defences and roads and the regeneration of the county. £4.4 million of additional capital resources for highway works through Prudential borrowing, to tackle the impact of the current hard winter.
“The financial situation in the coming years is not looking good and we will need to find significant further efficiency savings and cost reductions, as the result of the likely poor settlements from the Welsh Assembly Government, together with significant service pressures.
A booklet detailing information about the council tax will be distributed with council tax bills during March.
