Community News - September 2006 - St Albans City & District Council

Historic St Albans District becoming...
Council offers Great
Cutting the
cost of crime
CCTV cameras in
the district save
the community
around £370,000
a year preventing
burglary,
vandalism, pick
pocketing and
car crime.
How much do you think you pay each
week to have your rubbish collected?
The answer might surprise you.
The bill for refuse collection is just 62p a week for a Band D council tax property.
And you might be surprised to know what good value other District Council services are. The
average household pays just 32p a week towards the cost of maintaining parks and open spaces,
36p a week to keep the district clean, 44p a week for recyling and 42p a week for museums.
The average council tax bill for a Band D property is £1,293 a year, but more than 85.3 per cent
of this, £1,102, goes to Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Police Authority. Overall
householders pay an average of just £3.07 per week for a vast range of services provided by St
Albans City and District Council from street cleaning and recycling to leisure centres and planning
services.
In this edition of the Community News, which costs 5.5p per copy, we have highlighted just a
few of the many services that we believe provide outstanding value for money.
Tell us how you want
your money spent
What do you want to see your council tax spent on? We are in the process of
setting the budgets for next year and want to know what your priorities are.
Should we be spending more money on recycling, housing provision, street
cleaning or parks? Or do you want refuse collection, crime reduction, museums
or licensing controls at the top of the list.
Whatever your top priority let us know and we will use your suggestions to
help us set the spending priorities for next year.
E-mail your views to budget@stalbans.gov.uk, or cut out and post the slip
below to Budget Suggestions, Policy and Communications Unit, District
Council Offices, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3JE, by Friday 13th
October.
I would focus spending on:
❑ Arts, Theatres and Public Halls
❑ Cleaner District
❑ Community Safety / Crime Reduction
❑ Concessionary Bus Fares and Bus Subsidies and Taxi Vouchers
❑ Grants to Voluntary Organisations
❑ Homelessness
❑ Housing Provision
❑ Licensing
❑ Museums
❑ Parks and Open Spaces
❑ Planning and Building Control
❑ Refuse Collection / Recycling
❑ Sports and Leisure Centres
❑ Tourism
❑ Transport and Parking
❑ Other
Name
Address
Did you know?
Tourism Development costs council taxpayers
£76,000 a year. However, it is estimated that
tourism in the district contributes £150 million
to the local economy and supports 2,400 fulltime
equivalent jobs in the district.
(figures from Cambridge Model report by East of England Tourist Board)
St Albans City and District Council