More cuts and a rise in council tax bills (From Thisisdorset)

More cuts and a rise in council tax bills

11:00am Saturday 23rd February 2013 in Latest

THE move on the Pavilion came as Weymouth and Portland Borough Council set its budget for the coming year and made other decisions in light of a reduced government grant.

The reduction in funding over the last three years is almost £2 million a year, one of the highest rates in the country. Further cuts are anticipated.

Councillors needed to close a £2.265million gap between available resources and cost of providing services to balance the budget for 2013/14.

They agreed to increase the authority’s portion of the council tax bill by 1.99 per cent. The budget sets aside £100,000 to support arts and culture, maintaining the CCTV service to core hours, reducing the number of councillors and electing them all at the same time every four years, closing tourist information centres and offering this service in a different way.

It also includes pressing ahead with disposing of the council offices on North Quay and the Guildhall, and making further savings with the next phase of the partnership with West Dorset District Council.

Parking, mayor’s office costs, parks and events will also be reviewed.

Borough finance spokesman Peter Chapman said: “Continued pressures on funding means that tough decisions are needed.

“That meant councillors had some hard choices to make about reducing service levels and increasing council tax for the first time in three years.

“But this is also a chance to look at what we do and how we do it in order to emerge stronger, leaner and more focused.”