Now that Council Tax demands have been issued by Cotswold District Council (CDC), I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify the increase (6.9%) in the Longborough Parish Council (LPC) precept that is shown on the demand. (The Precept is a tax that the Parish Council charges local electors to meet our budgetary requirements).
This 6.9% increase is based on a complicated calculation that CDC use that involves looking at the increase per property based on every single property’s band D equivalent value. This is an approach that is mandated in law but does not reflect the actual increase, in monetary terms, that LPC have applied for through the precept.
The precept that LPC charged residents in 2023 was £17,995. This year (2024) the charge is £18,500. In monetary terms this is an actual cost increase to residents of just 2.8%. The costs of the various services provided by and through LPC actually costs £20,500 for 2024 but LPC decided to subsidise that cost by using £2,000 of funds from its financial reserves, that way shielding the community from a further cost increase. LPC decided this was an effective use of our financial reserves given the current cost of living crisis.
We hope that this information is useful but of course if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, our clerk, or indeed any member of your parish council.
Regards
Tim Howse
Chair – Longborough Parish Council
