Council set budget
News release issued:
Wyre Forest District Council set its budget for 2023-24 at the full council meeting on Wednesday 22 February and decided to raise its share of the council tax by £6.87 for the year at Band D, or just under 3%.
All bodies funded through Council Tax have now set their budgets for 2023-24 raising their charges by varying amounts.
Other bodies have increased their shares of council tax as follows (£ amounts relate to Band D):
Worcestershire County Council 4.94% - £69.00
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner 5.94% - £14.84
Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority 5.59% - £5.00
Parish/Town Council (Average) 9.23% - £4.28
It means overall an average increase of £99.99, or 4.97% a year for Wyre Forest properties in Band D. Exact increases will range from 4.76% to 5.66% depending on which town or parish residents live in.
The majority of householders will face smaller increases than the average Band D increase of £99.99 per annum, as almost three quarters of all homes in Wyre Forest are in Band A to C.
Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Portfolio, Councillor Mary Rayner said:
“We send out the council tax bills, but we keep only 11 pence in every £1 we collect. The rest of the money is passed on to county, town or parish councils and the blue light services.
“We will continue to look for more efficient ways of doing things and are keen to continue to grow our income so we keep any future increases to a minimum.
“It helps keep our costs down if as many people as possible pay their council tax by direct debit and opt to receive their bills by email. I would urge local residents who would like to switch to direct debit or who want to stop receiving a paper bill to visit our eBilling webpage and find out how to sign up”
Among the initiatives approved in Wyre Forest District Council’s budget for 2023-24 were:
- Community Leadership Funding giving councillors £1,000 each to support worthwhile initiatives, projects and activities of their choice.
- Funding for two additional Enforcement Officers for two years
- Funding to increase litter picking in Stourport and Bewdley over the summer months
- A community fund to provide grants of up to £500 to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III
- New grant fund for town councils to provide cultural/arts events
- Investment in the council’s ICT strategy
A full breakdown of where people’s money goes will be included on our council tax webpage, once the council tax bills are sent out in March.