Alsager Town Council has prepared a draft 2023-24 budget. This includes the ‘precept’, the amount charged to residents to pay for Town Council services. Our proposed precept request this year is £103.17.
We are keen to hear your views on the draft budget and to consider any opportunities to potentially reduce the precept.
The survey will close at 12 noon on 6 January 2023 with the outcome taken to the Town Council meeting on 10 January 2023 when the final budget and precept will be approved. The chart below illustrates the proportion of the Alsager Town Council precept requirement within your Cheshire East Council Tax Bill for last year. It amounted to 4% of your total Council Tax bill.
Cheshire East Council Band D Council Tax Charge 2022-23
Cheshire East Council 71%
PCC for services provided by Cheshire Police 12%
Cheshire Fire Authority 4%
Adult Social care 9%
Alsager Town Council 4%
The precept will have increased by an average of 5% each year between 2019 and 2023, the duration of the current Council term. Alsager Town Council has little ability to reduce running costs due to the cost-of-living crisis and current high inflation.
You can read the detailed budget by following the link Alsager Town Council Draft Budget 2023-24 – Alsager Town Council
Alsager Town Council needs to hold an amount in reserve to meet unexpected expenditure, otherwise we could run out of money before the end of the financial year. All councils should typically hold between 3and 12-months expenditure as a general reserve. If the general reserve is too low then it may not be enough to cover unexpected expenditure or emergencies, if the general reserve is set too high then residents will pay a tax which is not being used for the benefit of the local community.
Our draft budget gives the Town Council a 25% reserve which is at the lower level of recommended reserves as directed by the National Association of Local Councils. We have assessed the risks of this and recognise our reserve levels may not be sufficient if there is a further spiraling of inflation or costs associated with unexpected emergency work.
This draft budget will also deplete the capital reserve which will stand at £8,000. Capital money funds any further capital works such as replacement infrastructure. However, the Town Council has CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) funds which could be used subject to a further consultation to reconsider the priorities identified by residents in previous consultations.
Alsager Civic
Alsager Civic is a key community resource which transferred to Alsager Town Council from Cheshire East in 2012 with a significant deficit. It provides a valuable community service as well as a benefit to private hirers but took a significant financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Town Council we will continue to retain and support Alsager Civic and will strive to reduce the deficit.
Opportunities
Our budget is tight. If residents wish us to reduce the precept, then there would be a corresponding reduction in the services we provide. Here is a list of some of those services. We would very much value your views on whether they should be reduced or retained.