Council Tax for Welwyn Hatfield in 2010-11 was agreed at a Special Full Council meeting on 25 February. Council Tax bills will increase by an average 0.43 per cent.
Council Tax is split amongst a number of local authorities. Hertfordshire County Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council have held their portion of the Council Tax at the current levels. However, the Police Authority has increased its precept by 3.5 per cent. This, together with increases in parish and town council precepts, means that overall Council Tax has risen.
Taking into account all precepts the average Band D property bill will be £1,498.28, up from last year by £6.39 per household. This means that on average householders will pay just 12 pence per week more. A Band D bill for 2010-11 will vary from £1,458.78 to £1,527.46 dependent upon Parish.
The borough council keeps only 13 pence from every pound, even though it administers the payment collections. Three quarters of Council Tax is paid to Hertfordshire County Council - 75 pence from every pound. The remaining money is split between the Police Authority (10 pence from every pound) and town and parish council (2 pence per pound).
Councillor Alan Franey, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Resources, said: “This relatively low average increase demonstrates that as a borough we are continuing to deliver value for money to our residents. This year, we have committed over £1m to make improvements to our frontline services and borough improvements, without putting any increase on our portion of Council Tax.
“I am pleased that on average the Council Tax for Welwyn Hatfield is well below the national average. However, the increase from the Police authority of 3.5 per cent means that all areas of the borough have an increase in their Council Tax.
“Each area is further affected by the precept amount of the local parish and town councils and by the allocation of Special Expenses. As a consequence Council Tax bills will vary in their increase from 0.12 per cent in Welwyn Garden City to 1.48 per cent in Ayot St. Lawrence and 1.41 per cent in Welwyn.”
An information guide about how the council raises and spends its money, manages efficiency and delivers value for money to taxpayers is being sent to all residents alongside their Council Tax bills for 2010-11 from next week.