One of the few financial powers that Latimer and Ley Hill Parish Council has is the power to raise what is called the Precept. Under the Council Tax legislation, the precept covers our needs for the ensuing financial year which, by law, runs from the 1st April to the 31st March in the following year. This is the sum of money which the Parish Council requires the billing authority, in this case Buckinghamshire Council, to collect on their behalf. It is the principle source of income for the Parish Council. For 2020/2021 the precept is £20,738, an increase of £1,238.00 from 2019/2020.
Each year you receive your Council Tax bill which is made up of a number of elements, including the precept for Latimer and Ley Hill Parish Council.
How does the Parish set the Precept
The Parish Council looks at our revenue budget, the annual expenditure on wages, administration costs and services such as street lighting and water, and where necessary, maintenance of village assets such as the Burial Ground and notice boards. Many of these services increase year on year in cost by inflation or higher, and so our annual budget needs to rise to keep pace with this.
The Parish Council also look at projects such as addressing speeding and making enhancements to Latimer and Ley Hill. The costs of these projects are met from Council reserves. In the coming year we intend to complete repairs to the fencing and gates at the Burial Ground, introduce the Speedwatch Programme to further address speeding and to enhance the village by building an activity trail and plant further bulbs and wild flowers.