Harlow freezes council tax despite rising costs. Plan to cut councillor allowances for more policing fails at budget meet.
Labour suggested a motion to raise £184,000 for extra policing and ward funding. They envisioned each councillor receiving £10,000, with the remaining £74,000 allocated to improve policing, potentially through hiring a police officer. Labour’s aim included undoing a pay raise.
Council allowances had previously risen from £4,575 to £7,000. The council leader’s pay also experienced a substantial increase, from £7,117 to £19,600 annually.
Councillor Mullard-Toal asserted the change was straightforward, noting the huge allowance increase last September. He proposed resetting them to prior rates, which he estimated would save £552,000 over three years. He wanted to help communities, suggesting funding policing by £74,000 each year and allocating £110,000 yearly to wards, divided by eleven.
The failed change was part of the 2024-25 budget meet. The £244 million budget raises investment by 41%, and the council says it will fully fund all promises.
Councillor Dan Swords argued the change wouldn’t work because, according to him, the budget cannot alter allowances. He indicated the council would still owe the money, and the change would then create an unfunded overspend.
Council tax will remain frozen until 2028, with a Band C home paying £4.93 weekly. Other Essex areas raised taxes by the maximum amount.
Harlow will invest £136.6 million in housing, up from £111 million in the prior year, an increase of 23%. Rents, however, will only rise 2.7%, about only £3, from £112.20 to £115.23 each week.
They plan £39.7 million to upgrade facilities, including Pets’ Corner, Harlow Playhouse, the museum, and shopping areas. Free parking will continue in council lots, too.
Councillor Swords said the budget changed the town by increasing investment by 41%. Council tax stays frozen for a fourth year in a row, and they will invest £244 million in 2025/26. They plan to freeze council tax until 2028; residents will pay the 2021 rate. This will transform the town and improve services. The budget has no cuts or losses and contains no hidden surprises.