Swale Council’s Budget Agreed For 2021/22

Band D households in Swale will be asked to pay  £3.54 per week for Swale Borough Council services in the coming financial year.

The proposals for Swale’s share of the council tax were agreed at a full council meeting on Wednesday (24th February) evening.

The rise will see band D households paying £184.32 a year for Swale Borough Council services, a rise of £4.95.

Cllr Roger Truelove, Leader of Swale Borough Council, told SFM News: “The budget for the coming financial year is under severe pressure. We’ve managed to resist these pressures with regular support from Government through Covid related grants and with good internal financial management, but we still have a long road ahead as the local economy starts to recover. With the budget set for 2021-22, we can manage the challenges for the next year through the same combination of Government grants and sound control of expenditure we’ve demonstrated this year".

He went on to add: “We will only be asking for a council tax increase of 9p a week for band D properties, though I am aware that people’s overall charge will be affected by a larger Kent County Council precept which accounts for almost three-quarters of the total council tax bill for residents. The budget for the coming year outlines how we will carefully manage internal spending as well as drawing on our reserves to ensure we are delivering our core services and making improvements to the borough. We will be setting up the Rainbow Housing Company to provide more affordable housing, a project which is financially stable and allocating funds from our reserves to encourage growth and recovery in the borough. We’ll make it our priority to stimulate the local economy, our visitor economy, our heritage, our environment and public realm and our local community groups.”

Charges for Swale Borough Council services are only one element of the final council tax bill residents receive. Householders’ council tax bills also include charges for Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Service, and parish or town councils where these exist. These are set by the respective organisations and are collected on their behalf by Swale.

The council tax bill for a band D household for 2021/22 will be made up of:

• £1,418.79 - Kent County Council
• £218.15 – Kent Police
• £184.32 – Swale Borough Council
• £80.82 – Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority

* along with any town or parish council precepts in areas where these exist.

The full report from the full council meeting can be found here.