PEMBROKESHIRE County Council has agreed to go for a 5% increase in council tax, despite opposition from some councillors.
Many at Thursday’s (Mar 3) Full Council meeting spoke of the working poor and how they would be hit most by another rise in council tax.
Some said they would be voting for 3% while others said if they did do that they would be worse off in the long run.
34 councillors voted in favour of the 5% rise and 19 voted against it.
Cllr Bob Kilmister said that setting the budget had been extremely challenging and added that over the last four years council tax had risen by 31%.
He also advised council ‘in the strongest terms’ not to go for anything lower than 5% as it would mean they would be putting off a decision for another day.
Cllr Ken Rowlands said that no one wanted to increase council tax while Cllr Reg Owens said people are ‘struggling’ and that they should ‘put as little onto them as possible’.
Cllr John Davies said that electricity prices were going up and asked ‘why do we want to add to people’s pain’?
He added: “We will be spending an extra £26m and here we are wanting to add to the pain of the people of Pembrokeshire.”
Cllr Mike Stoddart said that they had been given extra money and couldn’t understand why they were still asking for a 5% increase as well as proposing to increase the rents of council tenants by 10%.
Cllr Tom Tudor asked which services would be hit if they were to go for a 3% increase.
Chief Executive Will Bramble said he was unable to say what would be affected until the council tax had been set
Cllr Kilmister added it was up for the members who wanted 3% to decide which services are affected.
Cllr Michael Williams said he was ‘desperately worried’ adding that Pembrokeshire had the highest rate of child poverty which puts more pressure on social services. He said: “How are we going to fund this unless we go for 5%.
“There are growing demands on education. We have suffered for years cutting back and cutting back. Services are strained and we’ve got to address this problem at some time.”
Cllr Kilmister said that the proposal of 5% was under the inflation rate and that Putin’s actions in Ukraine could push that up.
Cllr Vic Dennis agreed that people were struggling but said they needed to be funded to be able to support them.
Cllr Stephen Joseph said that working people would be the hardest hit and that they needed to look after them.
Cllr David Lloyd said they should have ‘trust’ in those who prepared the budget.
Cllr Mike John said he would like to be on the side of 3% adding they have got a responsibility to the vulnerable to make sure they are looked after.
Cllr Jamie Adams added that the Council needed to reflect on the settlement given to the former chief executive which he said was a ‘very bitter pill to ask people of Pembrokeshire to swallow for an unlawful action’.
Cllr Michelle Bateman said if they went for 3%, while it may seem palatable, they would be worse off in the long run.
Cllr Phil Kidney said he felt sorry for the working poor and that he would be voting for 3%.
When it was put to the vote there were 34 votes in favour of the 5% rise and 19 voted against it.
