OUTSPOKEN Cllr Marcus Barr was far from happy when Wellington Town Council set its budget for 2022-23.

Councillors voted in favour of increasing its share of the Council Tax bill for the next financial year at their latest meeting.

The town council has decided to put its Council Tax bill up by 15 per cent for 2022-23 - which works out at 19p a week extra or about 76p a month for an average Band D household.

Councillors had already agreed last month in principle to support an increase and that was ratified last week when they set a precept of £413,677 for 2022-23 - an increase of nearly £60,000 on the existing 2021-22 year.

The Band D charge for the town council’s share of the overall Council Tax is set to rise from £66.80 to £76.95.

But while councillors were set to nod the increase through on Monday without discussion, Cllr Barr said he was deeply unhappy to impose further costs on council taxpayers when some people were struggling to put food on the table or heat their homes.

"My views are always ignored so there’s no point me coming to the budget-setting meetings," said Cllr Barr. "But I’m not happy with this."

Cllr Barr added: "The cost of living is going up and people are having problems buying food or heating - people are having to make really serious decisions."

The Mayor, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said Cllr Barr was ’being listened to now’ in response to the claim his views were ignored.

The town council only takes a small share of the overall Council Tax bill which will fall through tax-payers’ letterboxes in April 2022.

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