COUNCIL taxpayers in Tendring are set to be asked to fork out an extra £5 a year due to further Government cuts to local government funding.

Finance bosses at Tendring Council are again asking residents to pay more as part of their council tax bills for 2019/20.

The district council’s portion of the bill is set to increase to £167.64 for an average Band D property.

The figure is also in addition to the levies set by county council and police and fire commissioner.

Council leader Neil Stock said: “Governments nationally and locally crank up the amount they take in taxation and then suddenly in an election year they manage to cut it or give people money back, but we’re not playing that game - we don’t think people are that stupid to fall for it.

“Council tax is going up slightly because we have had a big hit to our finances and still need to do things for the district.

“Things are getting more expensive, particularly waste and recycling.”

The council has seen its annual budget slashed from almost £21million in 2012 to £13.6million for 2019/20 – with just £422,000 coming from the Government grant.

The updated budget, which went before the council’s cabinet on Friday, also includes £60,000 for this year’s Clacton Airshow, £20,000 for the Sea and Beach Festival and a £23,000 contribution to the Tendring Mental Health Hub.

It also includes £61,200 to pay for an anti-social behaviour officers for two years, as well as £20,000 for additional security measures at Bath House Meadow, Walton.

A report showed the council has planned to make £328,000 of savings next year, £100,000 of which will come from reduced staff costs by not filling vacancies for up to three months.

Labour group leader Ivan Henderson said: “They can’t on one hand say they are protecting front line services, while not filling vacancies that provide those services on the other.

“They are putting pressure on an already overloaded workforce.”

Carlo Guglielmi, cabinet member for finance, said the council is in the third year of a ten-year financial plan set up to deal with the Government cuts to council grants.

The spending plans already include £500,000 for new homes in Jaywick, £1.75million on garden communities and the Local Plan and £2.3million on business investment.

Tendring First councillor Robert Bucke told the cabinet he was concerned about a lack of funding for Jaywick in future years, but Mr Guglielmi said the authority is committed to the regeneration of the deprived area, although he has been left “frustrated” by the slow process to get ten starter homes built.

The final budget will be decided by the full council in February.