ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL BUDGET FOR 2011-12
The Council aims to establish and maintain high quality, cost effective services to meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors in Abingdon and to promote the social, economic, environmental and cultural interests of the town for the benefit of the whole community. The Council provides services from the cradle to the grave – from play equipment to cemeteries. A summary of the 2011/12 budget and how it relates to the Council Tax is set out below:
|
BUDGET
|
Expenditure
2011/12
£ |
Income
2011/12
£ |
Net Expenditure
2011/2012
£ |
|
Democratic, Corporate, Property and other services incl. election expenses |
279,292
|
10,000 |
269,292 |
|
Cemetery |
120,171 |
39,183 |
80,988 |
|
Recreation & Open spaces (incl grants for outdoor pool and Albert Park) |
204,822 |
17,160 |
187,662 |
|
Abingdon Guildhall
(net) |
120,000 |
|
120,000 |
|
Community & Tourism |
103,424 |
19,870 |
83,554 |
|
Other community inc. Markets Christmas lights and street furniture |
74,895 |
33,483 |
41,412 |
|
Town Centre & Choose Abingdon Partnership |
59,327 |
|
59,327 |
|
County Hall & Museum |
118,789 |
27,260 |
91,529 |
|
Grants incl Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and others |
44,813 |
|
44,813 |
|
Residents’ Parking Scheme |
63,266 |
66,622 |
-3,356 |
|
Total revenue expenditure/income |
1,188,799 |
213,578 |
975,221 |
|
Capital and revenue growth net funding requirement |
343,903 |
|
343,903 |
|
Transfer to revenue reserves |
16,755 |
|
16,755 |
|
Total amount required from Council Tax |
1,549,457 |
213,578 |
1,335,879 |
What does the Town Council do?
The Town Council’s services are wide and varied and include the County Hall Museum, the cemeteries, recreation, open spaces, allotments, residents’ parking schemes (on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council), markets, visitor information centre, Christmas lights, Abingdon in Bloom, fairs, fisheries, street furniture, bus shelters, town twinning, archives, issuing various publications and organizing events. Some of these services are provided in partnership with other organizations. The Council also encourages and supports the work of many groups in the community through its community grants scheme.
The Council has an important role in representing the town’s interests, for example, in commenting on planning applications made in Abingdon last year and commenting on the Local Transport Plan.
The 2011/12 budget
The Council has carefully considered its budget for 2011/12 . Through careful planning and budgeting the amount of money being raised through the Council Tax has been frozen at £1,335,879. Net spending has been reduced by £16,755, with the difference being transferred to reserves to provide for future requirements. The Council Tax for a Band D property has been reduced from £106.64 to £106.01 per year.
Where does the Council’s money come from?
Unlike other Councils the Town Council does not receive any money from the Government and does not receive any money from business rates. All of the Council’s income is raised locally. Income is obtained from charging for some services and receiving income in relation to items such as market rents, cemetery fees and Museum shop receipts. This income is deducted from the overall cost of running the Council’s services to leave the net expenditure on services for the year. The remaining sum is funded via the “precept,” the amount collected from Abingdon residents for Town Council services and which is charged to the Council Tax. As a result the extra money required for the major schemes outlined above has to be raised from the Council Tax. For 2011/12 the total will be £1,335,879 resulting in a council tax on a Band D house of £106.01 for the whole year towards Town Council services. This is a charge of just under 29 pence per day per household.
The Vale of White Horse District Council collects the council tax on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council, the Vale of White Horse District Council, Thames Valley Police and Abingdon Town Council.
The overall Council Tax for a Band D property in Abingdon for 2011/12 is as follows:
|
Authority |
Amount of Council Tax |
Percentage of Council Tax bill |
|
Oxfordshire County Council |
£1,161.71 |
75.5% |
|
Thames Valley Police |
£154.30 |
10.0% |
|
Vale of White Horse District Council |
£116.69 |
7.6% |
|
Abingdon Town Council |
£106.01 |
6.9% |
|
Total |
£1,538.71 |
|
For more information please contact Mr Nigel Warner, Town Clerk at Abingdon Town Council, The Old Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JD. For telephone enquiries please call 01235 522642 or e-mail enquiries@abingdon.gov.uk.