Once upon a time, whenever we published a story about South Somerset District Council, we plagiarised their logo and placed a smiling, complacent fat cat at the centre, beaming at the hard-pressed council taxpayers.
This time we have respectfully used their official logo (although no doubt some jobsworth will come and try and get us for unauthorised use) because, although forced to increase the annual council tax by Central Government, the Council has managed to limit the increase to Band D properties (most of Horsington) to just £66 .36 a year. That’s £1.27 a week, less than half a pint of beer, closer to a modest bar of chocolate.
The Council has been hit by cuts in Government support and increases in the demands of other bodies: 1.99% for Avon and Somerset Police, 1.99% for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority, and 3.26% for Somerset County Council, the body which failed to bring any prosecutions for the outrageous trimming of hedges during the nesting season last year.
South Somerset District Council claims to have reduced its annual budget from £19.7m in 2008/9 to a proposed 2016/17 budget of just £17.3m. This represents a cut of 28% after inflation. Well done.
SSDC has targeted new savings of £1.3 million for 2016/17 including staffing costs of £365k, income generation of £703k, and savings on assets of £83k.
Our own Horsington Parish Council has to be congratulated. The amount it takes from us to look after the village has increased only slightly from £31.53 a year to £33.80 a year for Band D properties..
The annual Parish Meeting will be held on Thursday 14th April 2016 at St Margaret’s Hall, Horsington . 7.00 pm refreshments, 7.15pm Meeting.