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December
4, 2005
Burnham
residents invited to air their say on how council tax is spent
Burnham-On-Sea
residents are being invited to air their
opinions on how council tax money is spent in our area.
 Sedgemoor
District Council is asking residents for input in deciding where
money should be spent - and has set up four special touch-screens
in Burnham and Highbridge where people can type in feedback.
"This
can have a direct effect on the percentage rise of council tax
bills, so it is important that people have their say and influence
where spending may or may not take place," said a spokesman.
The
touch-screen kiosks are available from December 5th-31st at Burnham-On-Sea
Tourist Information Centre, King Alfred Sports Centre, Alpha House
in Highbridge and Burnham-On-Sea Swimming Pool.
Alternatively,
you can provide your comments to the council by email
or visit its 'Talk Budget' website.
The
news comes as Sedgemoor District Council faces a gap in its funding
of £942,000.
"Our
Government Grant does not keep pace with pay and price increases,
so this means we have to manage the budget carefully in order
to provide all of our customers with the services they require,"
added the spokesman.
"New
obligations are placed on us annually such as increased recycling,
licensing, e-government targets and concessionary bus fares, but
the majority of our residents do not want to pay more council
tax to finance these services, so each year we have to make difficult
decisions to balance the budget."
"Tell
Sedgemoor District Council what you think. What areas should be
invested in? What services are less important to you? How would
you suggest that the budget be distributed?"
"All
feedback received will be used as a basis for discussion in the
2006 Budget Allocation process."
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