THE leaders of Salisbury City Council have issued a statement ahead of the upcoming parish meeting next week. 

It comes after six residents, including two city councillors, called for the meeting to discuss the controversial council tax increase.

A parish meeting is not a meeting of the council, but a meeting of the whole community. 

Some Salisbury residents - those in band D properties -  will see a 44 per cent increase in the city council precept (not in their council tax as a whole as we erroneously stated in this article earlier). 

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Any person on the electoral register of Salisbury is entitled to speak at the meeting, and with the exception of the chairman, councillors rank the same as other members of the electorate. 

In a statement to the Journal, the council leaders, consisting of Lib Dem's Victoria Charleston, Labour's Ian Tomes and the Independent Annie Riddle, said: "The official process for developing Salisbury City Council budget is through the Finance and Governance Committee and Full Council, giving all councillors the opportunity to submit amendments and propose changes to the draft budget.   

"In addition, this year, the opposition Conservative group was invited to join the administration, working collectively, two months ahead of submission to feed in their ideas for what was always going to be a difficult year given the economic climate."

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The group added that they have already signalled that future budgets will be agreed upon in committee allowing all councillors to submit ideas and argue in favour of their residents. 

"The Leaders welcome the participation of residents in Council activities in all forms." 

The motion is:

Do Salisbury residents support: 

a. A limit on any proposed increase to the parish precept by five per cent per year

b. If an administration wants to increase the precept by more than five per cent then a parish poll should be required?

The agenda for the meeting will be published at least three days ahead of the meeting - a skeleton agenda is usually published, but often items are added up to and even during the meeting. 

At the meeting, all issues are decided by a majority of those present and voting. 

A poll may be demanded - in this case on the controversial council tax increase announced by the city council. 

The cost of holding the poll falls on the city council, and therefore on tax payers, and the outcome of the poll is no more a\nd no less than an expression of the views of the electorate who have voted. It is not legally binding. 

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 22, at 6pm, in Salisbury Guildhall. 

For more information on parish meetings, click here.