On Tuesday 10th January, Shepton Mallet Town Council agreed its budget for 2023-2024 and the amount of precept it would be levying on the District Council.  

The Town Council precept is the portion the town council receives of the Council Tax you pay each year and plays an important role in maintaining and improving local services and facilities, supporting local organisations and activities and influencing development.

If you would like to know more about the services provided by Shepton Mallet Town Council, please visit www.sheptonmallet-tc.gov.uk.  

 Last year just 6% of Council Tax went to Parish and Town Councils. 

 How your council tax is made up: 

• Somerset County Council – 68.16% 
• PPC for Avon and Somerset – 12.28% 
• Mendip District Council – 8.39% 
• Parish and Town Council – 6.34% 
• Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority – 4.49% 
• Special Expenses – 0.25% 
• Somerset Rivers Authority – 0.09%  

Parish and Town Councils are the first tier of local government and are the closest to the community they serve. Money spent by the town council only gets spent in the local area from which it is collected. That means that every penny of the precept remains in Shepton Mallet. 

 With budgeted expenditure of £774,368.00 the town council recognised the current cost of living situation and has limited the precept increase to half the rate of inflation, taking the remainder from general reserves and other small areas of income. 

 Council tax is calculated using a Band D equivalent or Base Rate which is 3429.64 for the year 23/24. Band D is the middle band of Council Tax and represents the amount of Council Tax paid on an average property in the area. The increase will result in a Band D household seeing an increase of 67p per month from April 2023, 1p less than a 2nd class stamp. The cost per Band D equivalent will now be £3.98 per week, roughly equivalent to the cost of a meal deal (£17.23 per month or £206.78, per year). 

 The way the Town Council will be spending this money: 

• Administration – £95,700, 11% 
• Staffing - £337,569, 41% 
• Collett Park - £127,300, 15% 
• Recreation, Amenities & Environment - £128,000, 15% 
• Policy & Resources - £47,799, 6% 
• Arts, Culture & Tourism - £33,000, 4% 
• Town Development & Planning - £5,000, 1% 
• Income - £12,819, -2% 
• Taken from Reserves - £-45,799, -5% 

 The council is starting to prepare its Strategic Plan for 2024–2029 and we will be running a public consultation in the coming months. Your views and ideas are needed to make sure the council reflects what you want. If you want to be involved, please register your interest HERE.