Overspending on the budget is likely to be £100,000 per annum, despite cuts to staffing and services, which will mean a 39% increase on the Council Tax - £50 extra on bills. (£1 a week) to cover expenditure.
The Local Government Association says that West Somerset is not viable, and should look towards Unitary status with Sedgemoor.
There has been talk of a local referendum on this concept, but opinion is clearly divided.
Sedgemoor has in fact been asked to help by sharing the delivery of services, but the Leader, Councillor Duncan McGinty, is cautious, West Somerset being such a large area with a small population.
Any ‘partnership’ as suggested would only be a short term measure.
The Leader of West Somerset, Cllr. Tim Taylor, says this wide area is underfunded, because it is not recognised that the small population makes it impossible to raise enough through council tax to run the services required.
It is a question of receiving more income, or sharing delivery of services.
Abolishing Districts and moving to Unitary Authorities would save an enormous amount.
In 2007 Lord Heseltine was pushing for simpler local government structures such as unitary status, and a recent report says there is great pressure financially on the District: Unitary status would save £10 – 15million a year.
What do you think?
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