Sandown Town Council voted last night (Monday) to increase their council tax precept by 49.9 per cent.
The vote means that Sandown residents in a Band D property will see the Sandown Town Council part of their council tax rise from £145.70 per to £218.40 a year, an increase of almost 50 per cent. This is on top of the almost five per cent rise being proposed by Isle of Wight council.
Amendments rejected
Amendments proposed by Cllrs Debbie Andre, Heather Humby and Emily Brothers, which would have seen around £100,000 sliced off the budget from a number of measures, such as ceasing the contract for grass-cutting in Los Altos Park and removing litter-picking from the budget, were defeated at the meeting.
Amendments approved
Amendments proposed by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Alex Lightfoot, calling for more money for youth services, the independent lifeboat and a reduction in the Mayor’s allowance, were passed forming part of the main budget proposal.
Those in favour (6) were Cllrs Baldry, Fletcher, May, Ward, Wilcock, Alex Lightfoot; Against (3) Cllrs Andre, Brothers and Paddy Lightfoot, with two abstentions Cllrs Betts and Hicks.
No vote on the main budget?
News OnTheWight has been told that there was no separate vote on the substantive budget, but it was just deemed as being passed with Cllr Lightfoot’s amendments.
Paul Coueslant from Sandown Hub, who was reporting from the meeting, told News OnTheWight,
“Cllr Emily Brothers suggested at the meeting that the budget might not be legal for that reason.
“When challenged by Cllr Brothers about the legality, the Mayor appeared to confirm that the vote on the Deputy Mayor’s amendments approved the main budget too.”
£500,000 Public Works Loan
The main budget also included provision for borrowing £500,000 for works to Yaverland and Pier Street public toilets.
The budget was criticised by former councillor, Bob Blezzard, for a lack of information about estimated income in the coming year and for the Public Works Loan being taken out over ten years instead of 40 years.
You can read a report of the meeting on Sandown Hub on Facebook.
Image: © Sandown Hub
