Council Tax: Statement from Parish Council Chairman

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Most local residents will by now have received their Council Tax Demand Notice for 2015/16. You will have seen that Shropshire Council have loudly proclaimed that they have frozen their charges at 0.0% and you will no doubt wonder why then there is 9.8% increase (albeit a small amount in cash terms) related to Hodnet Parish Council.
One way Shropshire Council has achieved their zero per cent is by not handing on a government grant to town and parish councils of £511,000 this year but retaining the money centrally. This has meant that parishes have been short-changed (I think this is the politest phrase I could find) and so we have had to raise our charges in order to stand still financially. So “they” look good and we are made to look bad.
Rest assured Hodnet Parish Council has looked for savings: In 2012/13 the parish element for rates was reduced by 6.4%, in 2013/14 and 2014/15 there was no increase in charges following that reduction. However, for the next year we have this shortfall to make good and so the subsequent increase in the parish rate (could argue of course that given the earlier reduction it represents about overall 3% rise in the parish rate over a 4 year period!).
Thank you for your understanding
Derek Hodge
Chair Hodnet Parish Council
For press reports about Shropshire Council’s decision see these stories from the Shropshire Star: