PEOPLE might be saying more than ‘crumbs’ when they hear that Wellington Town Council has decided to put up its share of the Council Tax bill by 23 per cent – although in reality that will cost taxpayers only the price of two packets of custard cream biscuits a month.

The percentage increase looks bad on paper but it actually works out at just 18p a week or about 72p a month.

Wellington Town Council only takes a small share of the overall Council Tax bill which will fall through people’s letterboxes in April.

Somerset County Council will take the largest amount with Taunton Deane Borough Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service also getting a slice of the Council Tax cake.

At Wellington Town Council’s full council meeting on Monday councillors voted to back a proposal to raise its precept to £268,358 for the 2019-20 financial year.

This means that those living in an average Band D household will see their town council bill go up from £41.62 in 2018-19 to £51.19 – an increase of £9.57.

Cllr John Thorne said: “The focus will be on the increase and people can work out the calculations and see it’s going up 23 per cent, although that works out at just 18.4p a week.

“It’s a very small increase but the amount of value we give the residents of Wellington is terrific.”

The last time there was a large percentage increase was in 2016-17 when it went up 46 per cent but more modest rises of one per cent and three per cent came in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively.

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “We have run a tight ship and the pennies that have to be added to the bill are never welcomed, but they have to be added.

“We want people to be proud of Wellington and the budget has been set for that purpose.”

Among new initiatives to be funded in the year ahead will be £11,000 towards the Wellington One co-ordinator post, plus £21,000 for a planned pop-up shop in the town and a film festival.

Town council clerk Kathryn Hemensley said: “We are facing a very challenging period with cuts at Somerset County Council and transformation of Taunton Deane Borough Council.

“That in itself presents new challenges to this council as we are next down the line.”