Council tax in Merthyr Tydfil will increase by 5.99% from April, as the Council moves to plug a £14.9m million budget deficit.
The proposals were approved in a vote last night.
Budget cuts will see hits to community care support services, voluntary redundancies and school lunches. The cost of school lunches will rise by 20p per meal.
The rate of inflation in the UK is 1.8%, but confirmed council tax increases in South East Wales average 5.8%.
Merthyr’s rise is just one in a series of high council tax hikes across the region.
- Methyr Tydfil: 5.99% rise
- Caerphilly: 6.95%
- Cardiff: 4.9%
- Newport: 5.95%
- Bridgend: 5.4%
- Vale of Glamorgan: TBC. A rise of 4.9% was voted down last month, but any potential increase has to be approved before the 11 March deadline
- Rhondda: TBC. Councillors will vote on a proposed rise of 3.6% tomorrow
On top of council tax, residents pay various additional community costs and contribute to the South Wales Police budget – know as ‘precepts’.
The South Wales Police precept has been confirmed to rise by 10.28%.
The National Assembly for Wales has the power to cap local authorities’ council tax rises deemed ‘excessive’.
But above-inflation rises in council tax have become a regular occurrence across Wales. Some of the highest rises this year include council tax in Pembrokeshire, which is going up by nearly 10%, and an increase of 9.6% in Conwy.
All confirmed council rises in South East Wales are above the average of rises in England. Analysis by the Chartered Institute of Public finance & Accountancy shows that council tax in England will increase by 4.5% on average this year.
Image credit:Jaggery
