Totnes Town Council considered the 2022/23 budget setting on Monday 6th December 2021.
Councillors felt strongly that it was important to minimise any impact on rate payers given the recent challenges with Covid 19 and the forecasted increase in general cost of living. With that in mind the annual precept request to South Hams District Council will remain the same at £545,986 for the financial year 2022/23. With the increase of homes in Totnes this now means an actual decrease of 1.35%.
The band D equivalent for 2021/22 was £189.13 per annum, in 2022/23 this will be reduced to £186.57 per year (£3.59 per week for tax paying band D properties). The actual proposed expenditure for 2022/23 is well over the precept income amount, with approximately £341,000 being spent from reserves to cover the total.
Examples of expenditure includes:
• £50,000 for community grants, supporting those groups who support the vulnerable, provide youth engagement, community transport.
• £100,000 for community asset projects such as pursuing the purchase of the Lowerfield site
• £125,000 for public realm and shared space improvements
• £33,950 for community outreach, arts, events and Christmas
• £10,000 for Climate Change and Green Travel initiatives
• Over £30,000 for maintaining and improving Totnes Cemetery
• Over £30,000 on developing Visit Totnes and tourism provision