Hailsham Town Council agrees to £1.2 million budget which sees increase in tax

The town council has adopted the recommendation put forward by the Finance, Budget & Resources Committee (FBRC) for the next financial year, which runs from April 2022 to March 2023.

The agreed budget is £1,254,440, with the amount of precept of £1,252,856 to be requisitioned from Wealden District Council. The shortfall in the budget of £1,584 is to be drawn from the town council’s reserves.

This means that council tax for a Band D property in Hailsham will be £163.23 – this is a 23p per week increase on the previous year.

Councillor Gavin Blake-Coggins, chairman of the FBRC, said, “The town council has agreed to increase its share of the council tax for the next financial year.

“Nobody likes to see an increase in the town council’s share of the precept, but a 23p per week increase I think represents value for money when you consider all the things that we do and on top of that, increased running, administrative, contract and other costs.

“The town council continues to deliver value for money and I think the budget proposal for the next year will enable us to continue to do that and go some way towards making a significant difference for the residents of Hailsham.

“The Finance, Budget & Resources Committee was in agreement that the Town Council cannot continue to remove items of expenditure year on year, as this in turn causes a false starting point the following financial year, in turn increasing financial difficulties in setting the budget.

“Our focus for the next year will be to continue to ensure all services are run as efficiently as possible, including the running of the high street post office, public conveniences, community halls, cemetery, play areas and youth services, as well as funding for additional grass cutting.”

For more information on the budget please contact John Harrison on 01323 841702 or email: [email protected].