Maldon District Council has agreed a £5 per year increase for a Band D household on the amount paid for district council services.

This will mean a 1.93 per cent increase on the full amount households will pay - this includes the county council, fire and police services and parish precepts. However, the percentage rise on the Maldon District Council amount alone is 2.47 per cent - with the £5 a year adding to the £202.40 paid in 2019/20 to the district for the year to £207.40 in 2021/22.

The rise comes as the local authority battles with the economic effects of the pandemic, including losses running into hundreds of thousands of pounds from leisure services and other income streams. Although pandemic grant money has been received from the Government, the total losses at present remain substantial. You can read about some of these losses and their causes in a previous article here.

Political clashes were evident at Maldon District Council's budget meeting last night (Tuesday, 23 February), with the Conservative group arguing for a zero increase achieved by taking money from the council's reserves - and the Independent administration accusing them of "short-termism" with local elections due on 6 May.

In a further twist, non-aligned Conservative Councillor Karl Jarvis voted to support the increase while Council Chairman, Independent Councillor Mark Heard, abstained from the vote. Independent Councillor Chrisy Morris, who resigned from the Independent group earlier in the day on what appears to be a separate matter, left the meeting early and did not vote.

Council Leader, Independent Councillor Wendy Stamp, spoke of how she had hoped that all councillors would work together on the budget proposals and council tax setting and, after Conservative group leader, Councillor Penny Channer, put forward the Tory group's proposal to take the money needed to make ends meet from the reserves.

Cllr Stamp said: "This is short-termism and we all know that it is an election year."

Independent Councillor Richard Siddall said of the Tories' proposal: "All it's doing is kicking the can down the road for political reasons. What we are doing is prudent and cautious and in the long-term interests of residents."

However, Cllr Channer said that there could still be more money coming to local councils from the Government, though no announcement of that has yet been made.

Cllr Channer added: "It is time now for this council to stand up for our residents. Council tax should be frozen."

Cllr Channer's proposal to take money from reserves to freeze the council tax this year was defeated, as was a second proposal to do so, configured slightly differently but still taking the cash required from reserves, by Conservative deputy group leader, Councillor Maddie Thompson.

The council voted to support the increase recommended by council officers, with 14 for, 12 against and one abstention.

In a report to the meeting, the council's Director of Resources, Chris Leslie, advised members that: "The council needs to show a commitment to maintain reserves at a level which provides adequate cover for most identified risks. This approach is pragmatic and shows a clear commitment to prudent financial planning."

When the 2021/22 charges for the county council, fire service and police service are added together, the annual bill for an average Band D household in the district will move from £1,796.03 in 2020/21 to £1,830.73 in the coming financial year.

However, this amount will vary slightly according to which parish residents live in, as each parish or town council sets its own much smaller charge or 'precept'. The 2021/22 figure given above is calculated using the average parish precept.