Budgets which set out how the council’s key services will be resourced over the next financial year, along with how grant funding from central government will be used, have been agreed.
Revenue and capital budgets for 2025/26 were reviewed and discussed, along with a medium term financial plan, at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday 26 February.
This followed a period of public consultation during January and early February, which provided valuable insight into the views of the council’s communities.
The council decided there will be a 2.99 per cent increase in Hertsmere’s share of council tax bills. A resident in a Band D property will pay an average of £210.06 in council tax to Hertsmere Borough Council for its services for the coming year – just 58p per day.
Hertsmere's portion of the council tax represents around nine per cent of the total collected, with Hertfordshire County Council receiving 77 per cent, the police receiving 12 per cent and the parish and town councils, who set their own budgets, two per cent. The county council and police set their own council tax and have applied higher increases than Hertsmere Borough Council.
The council tax charge will fund key services including waste and recycling collections; planning services; housing services; parks and open spaces; street cleaning and environmental health; benefits administration and contributions towards voluntary bodies.
The capital budget includes three significant affordable housing schemes for the borough over the coming year, along with improvement programmes for some of our flagship parks.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Jeremy Newmark, who is also Cabinet member for Communications and Consultation, said: “Budget setting this year has been a challenging process due to current economic influences. I’m grateful to Councillor Shenton and our council’s finance officers who have worked very hard to present these carefully-considered and balanced budgets.
“We’ve presented an ambitious budget that delivers on the priorities our local communities have set for us.
“I was also really pleased to see that we had a record response rate from our communities through the public consultation, with 120 participants. Thank you to everyone who took part."
Portfolio Holder for Finance and Budget, Cllr Chris Shenton, added: “Our core government funding has not increased despite the Chancellor’s announcement of an average increase of 3.2 per cent for local government bodies. Hertsmere’s increase was, in fact, just 0.4 per cent, whilst demand for our key services has grown. We have, however, received increased government grants for our homelessness and temporary accommodation provision which is welcomed.
“Additionally, despite assurances that increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions would be fully funded, there was a 66 per cent shortfall when the funding was finally announced. I’m pleased that we have achieved a balanced revenue budget set against that context.”
To view the council agenda and reports, visit Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 26 February 2025, 7.00 pm
