Havant Borough Council’s draft budget will be considered by Cabinet on Wednesday 8 February.
The budget contains a proposal to increase the Havant Borough element of Council Tax by 13p a week for the average Band D property. This would see the annual charge rise by £6.58 (equivalent to 3%) from 1 April 2023.
Havant Borough Council’s Cabinet will consider the proposed budget plans and, if supported, the recommendation will then go before Full Council on Wednesday 22 February 2023.
The draft budget for 2023/24 looks to spend around £15.6m on services for the borough. This figure is net after taking into account income received through the council's other fees and charges.
The council is also continuing to invest in the borough with the main priorities of improving the health of our communities, protecting our natural environment, and building for the future. The council has already secured £1.6m of Government funding to regenerate part of Havant town centre, £495,000 for improvements to parks and play areas, plus £705,000 through the Local Authority Housing Fund to provide homes for the homeless in the borough.
Councillor Tony Denton, Havant Borough Councils Cabinet lead for Finance said: “As part of the 2023/24 budget, we are proposing to increase the amount of council tax which Havant Borough Council receives by 13p a week.
“Often people assume that this borough receives the full amount they pay because we send out the bills and collect the money. However, this isn’t the case. Havant Borough Council only receives 11% of the total our residents pay.
“For this small amount, we provide a wide range of services, and we believe our services are excellent value for money.
“The proposed decision to increase our element of council tax is not made lightly as we are very aware of residents’ concerns about the rising cost of living, however, we feel this is necessary to help protect our frontline services.
“For this budget we have squeezed the value out of every pound. There is a gap between the funding we receive and the cost of running services but thanks to careful financial management, we are able to make up this difference with reserves.”
The proposed increase to the Havant Borough element of council tax means the overall annual charge (inc. Hampshire County Council, Police and Crime Commissioner, and Hampshire and IOW Fire and Rescue) for an average Band D property will rise to £2,018.20 from 1 April 2023.
Havant Borough Council is responsible for a wide range of services including; collecting recycling and rubbish from more than 59,000 homes in the borough; supporting homeless people; handling planning applications and development of the borough; managing open spaces including Hayling Island seafront; emptying dog waste and litter bins, street cleaning; food safety inspections; licensing of pubs and taxis; protecting and enhancing the natural environment including our coastline; and election services for local and national elections.
People on low incomes can apply for Council Tax Support. This gives a discount on your Council Tax bill, the amount of which is dependent on your income and personal circumstances. Businesses, in particular local community groups and sports groups, can also find support through the Discretionary Business Rate Relief Scheme.
For more information on the council’s draft budget, please read here.