Pembrokeshire’s main town councils are expected to make a lower percentage increase in the demands of taxpayers than either the county council or the police.

Pembrokeshire County Council is expected to increase council tax by 7.5 per cent for 2023-24, subject to full council support on March 2.

The 7.5 per cent increase proposed, subsidised in part by funds from the second homes council tax premium, was agreed by the county council’s Cabinet on February 14.

It had considered three council tax options for 2023-24, set against a funding gap of £18.6m: an increase of five per cent, seven-and-a-half per cent and 10 per cent.

Members backed the 7.5 per cent increase, which would increase the annual bill of the average Band D property by £62.46, to £1,311.63.

Dyfed-Powys Police recently announced a 7.75 per cent rise in its precept for 2023-24, which will raise the average band D property precept by £22.49 per year, to £312.65.

The third element of the overall council tax bill is the town/community council element, with Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Haverfordwest and Tenby all setting a lower percentage increase than either of the other elements.

All the larger town councils in the county have been contacted asking what their rate for the coming year is.

The precept for Milford Haven has been set for 2023/2024 at £178,596 an increase from last year of 2.95 per cent, representing a cost to a Band D property of £32.86.

Pembroke Dock Town Council – which did not have any breakdown of individual figures for Band D properties available – will raise its precept by 1.5 per cent; from £209,560 to £212,706.

Haverfordwest Town Council stated: “We have agreed our precept at £388,444.00 for the 2023-2024 financial year which equates to £78.75 per Band D household.

“The 2022-2023 precept was set at £370,000 which equated to £74.91 per Band D household.”

This represents an increase of just over the five per cent mark.

Tenby Town Council agreed to dip into reserves to keep its increase at the six per cent mark.

Tenby Town council had previously resolved “to look to an increase of the Band D equivalent of not more than six per cent,” adding: “This would mean an increase of the Band D equivalent from last year’s £69.95 to £74.15.”

Members had previously heard that would generate a precept of £225,143.12 leaving a shortfall of £25,778.24.

It was recommended, and backed, that the council accept the budget as proposed and consider utilising £25,778.24 of un-earmarked reserves to set the precept at £225,143.12.