Braintree District Council plans a tax rise, but it won’t cover a looming £2.9 million funding shortfall in the coming years
Braintree: So, the council’s decided to raise the council tax by nearly three percent. This is the max they can go, which means for a band D property, folks will pay about £206.01 a year. That’s an extra £5.94.
They say this increase will help keep services running without cuts. Good news, right? Plus, car parking fees and garden waste subscriptions won’t go up. But here’s the kicker: they’re still facing a big funding gap, expected to hit £2.9 million by 2028/29.
If they don’t do something about it, they might have to dip into their savings, using around £7.5 million from reserves over the next few years just to balance the budget. They’re planning to pull out £361,000 from reserves and an extra £1.6 million on top of the £16 million already set aside for community projects, like a new community center and sports facilities.
Councillor Graham Butland, the council leader, mentioned that this budget shows their commitment to keeping services running for everyone in the district. He’s optimistic about future opportunities that could benefit residents and businesses, but they’re focused on delivering the best services now.
On the finance side, Councillor Kevin Bowers said their careful financial management is helping them keep things afloat. They’re working hard to close that budget gap by changing how they operate and deliver services.
The council will discuss the budget in a meeting on January 29, and then again on February 3. The final decision will be made at a Full Council meeting on February 24.
