Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
From the same article Pembrokeshire has one of the biggest projected budget shortfalls in Wales.

No idea how the Council Tax levels have changed over time, but I would guess that there is more of an elderly/retirement population there than in many other areas? Not likely to be league leaders on business rates either?

As Councils have had to drop almost all of their discretionary spending since the Age of Austerity began in 2010 and focus only on their statutory responsibilities (mainly adult social care and emergency homeless housing - both going skywards as the revenue shrinks) - most of it funded by a property tax based on 1991 valuations - they will all be heading for the maximum allowed Council Tax rises just to meet their statutory obligations. And still many of them will fail, issue section 114 and sell any remaining assets to survive a bit longer.

There is a UK crisis in local authority funding. That is true in all parts of the UK, and even if devolved governments have more theoretical flexibility in policy making, the same pressures and constraints apply to all.

And no solutions coming from the UK government.

The average Band D Council Tax in Wales is 91% of the average Band D Council Tax in England.
Well they are not going to be leaders on business rates if the Welsh government tried to discourage English tourists and slowed the roads down and are trying to bring in local tourist taxes and get welsh farmers to give up profitable land for trees to be greener than England.

It's history repeating itself like Cardiff airport dying while Bristol airport is growing the same is happening to the whole country's economy.