Andover Town Council to become more transparent after vote andoveradvertiser.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from andoveradvertiser.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Andover Town Council has voted to maintain its tax precept at the current level following a lengthy meeting of the full council. Councillors voted to maintain the level at £21.10 per Band D household for another year, generating just under £350,000 in revenue. This fell short of the proposed expenditure of at least £466,208 the council had planned in its budget, with the internal auditor have suggested the council consider an increase. However, following debates over a proposed new budget, the costs were reduced to just under £365,000, with the remaining shortfall to be met from the council’s reserves. Councillors met at the full council precept meeting on Tuesday, January 26, to set the level of precept for the rest of the year, which had to be decided on before the end of the month.
Councillors have narrowly approved the appointment of an officer to serve Andover’s youth and communities. A motion had been put forward by Councillor Jason Sangster and Cllr Richard Rowles to appoint a youth and community development officer “to work with local communities in Andover to identify local needs and develop strategic responses to these needs”. A vote on the motion was tied, with Cllr Rowles subsequently using his casting vote to pass the motion, with a contract for the role to be decided on at a later date. The motion was proposed at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday, January 26, for the role to have a salary of £35,000 as well as a budget for the position. It was amended by Cllrs Sangster and Rowles to specify that the role would be for a contractor rather than a full member of staff.
Andover Town Council has raised the prospect of getting rid of its physical presence in the town in a move that could reduce taxes for residents. The idea was raised during a meeting of the Assets and Communities Committee during discussions of its budget for the coming financial year, with Councillor David Coole questioning the value of the building to Andover taxpayers, the costs of which come to around £41,000 a year when all factors are considered. The concept received tentative support from other councillors, with officers asked to prepare a report ahead of the matter being considered more fully at a later date.