It remains to be seen what the rises are likely to be for other North Wales councils, but personally I think this sounds like a good settlement considering that council tax rose by 4.5% last year without the need then to find any savings at all. When you consider that this rise is below inflation (currently around 4%), and that there will also be no cuts to Anglesey's libraries and leisure centres this year, it shows just how well the Council does actually function despite the political problems. If the full Council does approve this rise (and I hope it does) it further proves to the Welsh Assembly Government that Anglesey Council is by no means a failing council and certainly does not need to be forcibly amalgamated into a Greater Gwynedd.
UPDATE: Its worth highlighting the below comment from Jeff Jones, former Leader of Bridgend Council:
"The average increase for Wales looks as if it will be in the region of 2.8%. If Ynys Mon sticks to 4.3 % it will probably be the highest increase in Wales this year. If they go for 3.7% then the highest could be Newport at 3.9% with Bridgend at the moment second on 3.77%. Although the real issue is often not the percentage increase but the actual amount paid at Band D. Caerphilli,for example, might be freezing its council tax this year but its band D will be still £897 compared to Newport's £802. Historically the lowest council tax in Wales has always been Pembrokeshire which has a band D of about £707. The lowest Band D in England and Wales is Conservative controlled Wandsworth at £687. In England all council tax increases above 3.5 % would be capped this year. Most English authorities have also taken advantage of the UK government's one one off payment which allows them to freeze council tax for a year. Council tax has also been frozen again in Scotland but the Assembly decided not to go down this route."UPDATE 2: Neighbouring Gwynedd County Council will see their council tax rise by 3.9%. Another reason to oppose a forced amalgamation between Ynys Môn and Gwynedd.
24 comments:
It is interesting to note that at the Trearddur Bay Hotel on Monday, Clive McGregor's group of three, were the only ones that voted for a 4.3% increase, every one else voted for a 3.9%or less.
19.11 Interesting, but who will be the Finance Portfolio Holder after May when the maths don't add up ?
Certainly not the present holder !
Lets hope 3.7% is agreed by Full Council. I feel sure some Councillors would be happy to reduce their allowances by even more than 10% given the current situation, and this would send a very positive message to WAG, the auditors, and make it more difficult for Carl Sargeant to steamroller a merger.
AND -if Bowles took a 10% cut in his £270,000.00 Salary-maybe Anglesey could have the lowest Council Tax rise in Wales ??--Well Mr Bowles-how's about it ??
I'm glad the increase in council tax is lower than expected and I'm glad that libraries & leisure centres are not going to receive cuts this year.
BUT... schools are facing a substantial cut. In fact, Anglesey secondary schools received a substantial cut last year too (around £306K was quoted as the cut for one particular secondary, which inevitably forced that school to push for early retirements and a forced redundancy in one instance).
Anglesey schools have actually been getting their budgets cut down every year for the last few (4-5) years, if I've understood correctly.
MOst of the workforce on this island will be getting a zero% payrise for the second year running.
There is no justification for a council tax rise at all.
A pay freeze is actually a pay cut at the rate of inflation. CPI inflation in Jan was 4%.
Luckily we have a conservative government that believes in fairness. And as they are encouraging workers to settle for pay rises of nothing or virtually nothing, they are also making the gas, water, electric hold their rises to nothing, keep the price of petrol static, guarentee that pensions, pension credits, other benefits and tax credits will not devalue in real terms and guarentee that housing benefits will not be devalued and hold the price rises in basic foodstuffs to nothing.
After all, we're all in this together. (ROFL)
(It's blatantly obvious from 'call-me-dave's' outbursts of the last few weeks that he is in fact a worthy successor to the clown Blair and should not under any circumstance ever be treated as anything other than live entertainment. In the meantime Osborne has less credibility than Gaddafi and probably less political mileage. All that drivel about how they would curb MPs expenses and how they would control the banls - PMSL. Which of you believed that? Roll on May for a good laugh)
If any of you had been at the Trearddur Bay Hotel this week, you would have heard David Bowles, tell how many Staff are to lose their jobs at the council, you would not be please at all.
Not quite understanding why it was so difficult for the Councillor's to stop their bickering I felt that much of that was propaganda, until I read Councillor Clive McGregor Statement which explains all.
His approach to moving the Council forward shows incredible arrogance. To name Councillors who he's in the past attacked, then brought into his cabinet,then sacked,shows a gross lack of Leadership.
To now publicly name these as trouble makers is not only exposing his need to fuel the fire of bickering but also shows that he is not a fit person to be a Councillor let alone Leader of the Council.
the councillors can afford to haev a small real terms reduction in allowances, especially those mentioned as troublemakers by C McGregor.
blimey! it's windy in Trearddur Bay today. wonder what's causin that?
In December 2008 Councillor Clive McGregor, whilst a member of the Council's Executive,wrote a letter to Derrick Jones MD,stating:
" It pains me greatly but doesn't surprise me given the the issues surrounding Graigwen have eroded whatever trust and confidence there might be between the ruling Administration and certain members of the Corporate Management team.
It may be that we require a Police Investigation into the issue as offences of MALFEASANCE IN PUBLIC OFFICE WOULD APPEAR TO BE MADE OUT. It is then and only then that confidence in the Isle of Anglesey Council would be apparent".
As Cllr McGregor has now deemed it time to go public, naming and shaming a number of his fellow Councillors. I wish to publicly ask him: whether he still stands by this very grave allegation or not?
I and the public wait in anticipation for an answer.
"asking them to forgo their allowances, basic or otherwise, altogether for at least this coming tax year."
Quite so. Normally, it is right that reasonable allowances are paid, but these are not normal times.
£760,000 (£800,000, if you take Bowles' latest sums) is a lot of money - money that will save jobs.
At an average age of 62.5 years, you could argue that most councillors have had their careers, and shouldn't sacrifice other people's by refusing to properly accept just how much their allowance bill actually is.
The average increase for Wales looks as if it will be in the region of 2.8%. If Ynys Mon sticks to 4.3 % it will probably be the highest increase in Wales this year. If they go for 3.7% then the highest could be Newport at 3.9% with Bridgend at the moment second on 3.77%. Although the real issue is often not the percentage increase but the actual amount paid at Band D. Caerphilli,for example, might be freezing its council tax this year but its band D will be still £897 compared to Newport's £802. Historically the lowest council tax in Wales has always been Pembrokeshire which has a band D of about £707. The lowest Band D in England and Wales is Conservative controlled Wandsworth at £687. In England all council tax increases above 3.5 % would be capped this year. Most English authorities have also taken advantage of the UK government's one one off payment which allows them to freeze council tax for a year. Council tax has also been frozen again in Scotland but the Assembly decided not to go down this route.
Charlton talking usual nonsense on tv last night (S4C) - god help Anglesey..why does they put up this block?
Another cover up, Another stitch up. Another reason to march on the Council. Another reason kick the shit out altogether.
Not so independent, two bit Ombudsman covers up on the Gwynfor Peirce Grants Con.
No decency. No honesty. No justice.
JUST MORE CORRUPTION.
Hope you are satisfied BOWLES, your turns coming shortly.
Is the rate of inflation or indeed 3.7% an acceptable increase in Council Tax? Surely the starting position should be no increase. In England, a council is deemed to have set an excessive increase in council tax if its Band D council tax for 2011-12 is more than 3.5% greater than the same amount calculated for 2010-11. Over 130 English councils have confirmed they will be freezing their council tax without decimating services - just continuous improvement, better negotiation of contracts, better value for money. Simply uplifting council tax in line with inflation is the lazy, apathetic option and our residents should expect more from its councillors and council.
Jeff Jones- thanks for the info above. I agree with other comments made here that there is room to cut the CEO salary and that would make a significant saving.
Photon - glad to see you still actively posting. I wanted to leave my support for you on your blog site but couldn't get past the new technology. I agree with the blogger who thought you would make a good County Councillor.
If John Chorlton is made Leader then someone had better proof read his letters. He is far from articulate and I have in my possession a formal correspondence in which he refers to David Bowles as "Bowels".
Anyway, I cannot see JC and his sidekick CE being re-elected after approving planning permission to turn Newry Beach into a concrete jungle for yuppies. Conygar/Stena Plc will make £Millions at the expense of the kids of Holyhead.
I intend making enquiries to discover if any of the Councillor's acquired shares in Conygar/Stena Plc.
Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes - Chorlton will win again have no fear of that - his base is solid Labour. Who do you think his ward will vote for as an alternative? The tories? Didn't even stand in Kingsland last time out (sensible decision back then, more so now) nor did the Lib Dems (likewise). Knox-Johnson for Plaid was only other candidate and Chorlton got three times as many votes.
Anglesey is stuck with him unless he is prevented from standing again.
Council tax is a form of piracy which should be scrapped.
The one redeeming factor about the Liberals was that they had intended to replace it with a local income tax.
The only people who benefit from CT rebates are those who have no savings. Those who were foolish enough to save for old age get penalised every way.
3.9% does not sound much, but the rises have been going on year after year.
The one redeeming factor about the Liberals was that they had intended to replace it with a local income tax.
That will hurt the people on PAYE more. The self-employed - particularly in cash businesses - will run rings around it. Don't believe me? Look at the CSA fiasco. Most of their big problem cases (in excess of half a million) are self-employed that the CSA know are manipulating their returns but can't prove it.
And if an organisation as big as the CSA, complete with it's own laws, tribunals and enforcement teams struggles with the self-employed the Anglesey Council (or any other) will be on a hiding to nothing.
And that shortfall will be made up by? The people on PAYE. And most of the people on PAYE are? Low paid.
The only fair system is to base it on the value of the dwelling and assosciated land - the old rates system but we binned it in favour of Community Charge which in turn was binned in favour of Council Tax which we will at some stage bin to replace with some form of rates.
And thus the circle of life is complete.
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