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October 2009 - Budget Consultation

Over the coming months Burnham on Sea and Highbridge Town Council will be starting on its budget setting process for 2010/11 and would be very interested to hear your views on the level at which the Town Council’s budget, which forms part of your yearly Council tax, should be set, particularly at a time when other Authorities such as the District and County Councils are facing difficult decisions about the services they provide, and making choices between cutting services or finding ways of raising additional funding.

At the time of writing this consultation, however, we have no clear indication of what services are likely to be cut or reduced in some way.

One option of course is for these authorities to ask your local Town Council to take on some of the services they are no longer able to provide, but since the Town Council has no other source of income other than its share of the Council Tax (this current year equating to an average per band D property of £51.48 per annum), the only way it can provide these services is to increase its share of the Council Tax. For your information any such increase will fall on domestic council tax payers only, as the Town Council does not receive any of the rates levied on business or the commercial sector.

As a guide, a 1% increase in the Town Council’s share of the Council Tax you pay would generate an additional income to the Town Council (in round figures) of £3,500 for the coming year, and increase the tax for a band D property by 50 pence for the year.

The questionnaire below is designed to find out what services you would like to see set as a priority by your local Council, and to ask your views about increasing Burnham on Sea and Highbridge’s share of the Council Tax to provide services locally. It sets out details of the services the Town Council currently provides, and also leaves a space for any other areas you feel the Town Council could support local residents.

Would you please complete and return this by Friday 11 December at the very latest. All questionnaires returned with Name and Address details will be entered into a prize draw with a cash prize of £50.

Please indicate the level of priority you think each of the services should be, by ticking one of the boxes.
Priority: 1 = High, 2 = Medium, 3 = Low

Priority:
 1 2 3
1) Grants to Community and Voluntary Groups
2) Allotments
3) Public Seats
4) Town Handyman
5) Bus shelters
6) Contribution to Sedgemoor District Council for additional street cleaning in Burnham Town centre and on the Esplanade
7) CCTV Cameras (in partnership with Sedgemoor District Council and others)
8) Additional dog and litter bins (to supplement those provided by Sedgemoor District Council)

9) Contribution to Sedgemoor District Council to augment the floral displays in Burnham and Highbridge
10) Seasonal lighting on the Esplanad
11) Some event provision, ie the Annual Fireworks Display, and funding support for       others such as the Stert Island Swim and the Farmers’ Markets.
12) A bi-annual Residents Guide
13) Burial provision in three cemeteries
14) Partnership funding for Regeneration projects
15) Possible support for the Princess Hall
16) Possible joint funding with Sedgemoor District Council for the Burnham-on-Sea       Community Centre
17) Enhancement to the entrances to both towns, incorporating signs (Grounds       Maintenance)
 
Comments:  Please list here any other areas where the Town Council should fund or help fund services (possibly in partnership with others)
Name:
Address:



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