Pembrokeshire cabinet plans 10% council tax rise

Pembrokeshire residents face a 10% increase in council tax and £15.5m cuts in services as council leaders try to balance the books.

Senior officers had previously warned that council tax would need to rise by 28% to meet service needs.

Instead, the cabinet proposes 8% budget cuts for all departments except for schools and social services.

Last year's council tax increase of 12.5% was the biggest in Wales, but the actual bills were still the lowest.

Increased teachers' pay and pensions, out-of-county care placements and a proposed Welsh Government funding cut of 0.4% were all putting pressure on the independent-run authority, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Bob Kilmister, the cabinet member responsible for finance, told his colleagues on Monday a £19m budget hole would be met by a combination of cuts, efficiency savings and an increase in council tax.

A rise of 10% would add just under £2 a week to the council tax bill for a Band D property, which at £1,093 a year would still be less than that currently paid on such homes in neighbouring Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

Highways, culture and planning are among the areas most likely to suffer cuts while spending on schools and social services is protected, a report to the cabinet showed.

The draft budget for 2019/20 agreed by the cabinet on Monday will be open to public consultation and considered by scrutiny committees and the full council in the coming weeks.

The final decisions will be taken in February.