South Shropshire town's council tax precept to increase by nearly 20 per cent
A south Shropshire town council has agreed to raise its council tax precept by nearly 20 per cent.
On Monday night (February 2) Cleobury Mortimer Town Council approved its budget and precept for the 2026/27 financial year.
The precept – the amount the authority receives from council tax to deliver services – has been set at £234,000.
That will cost a band D property £191.80 for the year – an increase of 19.8 per cent. However, the draft budget for 2027/28 shows the precept being lower at £220,000.
In total the forecast income for 2026/27 is £277,800, while the town council’s expenditure is £257,355.
This includes £92,000 going towards salaries and £25,000 to HMRC and National Insurance contributions.
Meanwhile, £15,000 will be spent on Cleobury Community Hub, £8,500 on street light maintenance, £7,250 on office supplies and services, £6,720 on grass cutting at the cemetery and £5,500 on CCTV.
The only remaining Shropshire town council that has yet to set its precept is Shifnal, due to a tied vote at a recent meeting. The recommendation was that it should rise by 16.73 per cent, or £26.73 for a band D property.
However, members failed to agree. Therefore, an extraordinary meeting will be held on Monday (February 9) in hopes of finalising the figure.
