Parish Precept
Parish Finances 2007/8
Many parishioners will have been upset to receive their latest Council Tax bills in March and found that the total had gone up by 5%. More particularly, the Eversley Parish Council element rose by 10.3%, to an average household level of £45.75. Why on earth has it risen so much and how does the Parish Council spend your 88p a week ?
As you may have read in the Parish Magazine last year, the Parish Council did not produce a detailed budget for 2006/07, relying on an inflation rate rise to tide it over. This was partly due to the earlier resignation of our voluntary treasurer and partly due to the pressure of work on five councillors doing the work of eight. At the end of the year the Council had actually spent £2,700 more than it raised in income. However, the Council is now back to full strength and the backlog of financial matters has been sorted out by the Clerk, now also working as our paid treasurer. This year’s budget, therefore, includes, an estimate of £1,800, as a one-off payment to carry out the last six year’s audits. It includes an increase in grass-cutting to take account of our new green at Westward Ho. It includes a contribution of £2,000 towards recreation at Lower Common, with the intention to secure £29,000 in Lottery grants. It includes £1,000 towards works on the Great ‘A’ Village Green, which will, hopefully, secure more than £9,000 in further grants. It includes a contribution towards the provision of the Call & Go bus service in the village and a provision for other donations. However, the major costs are our staff costs – the Clerk, the Parish Warden, the Assistant Warden and our grass and tree cutting contractor. The 8 Councillors themselves are unpaid. Full details of the 2007/08 budget can be found in the download below.
The Parish Council is very active; holds about 50 meetings each year; sends representatives to other bodies; looks after three Village Greens, three Play Areas and three other Greens or Commons; maintains the Churchyard, Graveyard and the Burial Ground; and much more besides. I hope that you can agree that your Parish Council is worth the extra 8p a week that it is charging you this year. Despite the rise, Eversley residents still only pay three quarters of the average parish rate paid in Hart.
To see details of the Precept click here