Midsomer Norton Town Council finally voted to accept their budget for the 2023/23 financial year, at their meeting on Monday, April 3, the final full council meeting before May's elections.

The budget setting process has been ongoing since November last year.

Deputy Mayor, Gordon Mackay took the opportunity to praise the Locum Clerk, Paul Russell, who had been "dropped in at the deep end". Cllr Mackay reminded the meeting that the Town Council "started off with a 17.8% rise, which I don't think any of us felt was going to be acceptable at a time when people are struggling". Cllr Mackay explained that the size of the precept increase wasn't the only issue, as the Town Council hadn't "identified a real justification. It wasn't part of a strategy at the time and I think that's why we were correct to reflect on that and we've had to make some tough decisions".

Those decisions included the removal of the towns Street Marshals, saving the Town Council over £21,000. Reflecting on the process, Cllr Mackay explained that: "We've spent a lot of time doing it. There's been the odd, heated debate, but we've now got a budget, which is within our stated financial guidelines".

Cllr Mackay went on to say that he hopes the new council will devise a new strategy for creating a budget, which would be a smoother process, creating a "budget that we can then justify to the public".

Impacting on the budget was the news that the Town Council's insurance costs had increased by nearly £10,000, with councillors having no alternative to accept a quote of £17,011.58 from James Hallam, or risk becoming uninsured. That is for rebuild costs of over seven and a half million pounds and indemnity cover for staff and councillors.

This matter prompted heated debate from the public gallery during public questions session at the start of the meeting, asking if there was not a better deal to be had, and with Cllr Shaun Hughes, taking the opportunity to remind the councillors that's why setting a budget before agreeing the precept, which he had been questioning since the February meeting, is considered best practice.

Concluding his comments Cllr Mackay expressed his support for the budget stating that "as it's actually presented to us today, it's well laid out, it's coherent". Analysis of the budget voted agreed on Monday, compared with that rejected on February 6, shows only minor adjustments, headlining with the reduction in the Street Marshal budget and a further £1,000 taken out of the community grant fund.

You can watch discussions of the budget on the You Tube channel of Cllr Mackay in a private capacity HERE with details around the 45 minute mark

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In the elections, whatever the result , there will be new faces in the council chamber.

The new council will feature a majority of councillors elected for the first time. Four of the current Town Councillors are re-standing in the North Ward and one in Redfield, yet even if all five are re-elected there will be six new Town Councillors in all.

Both Midsomer Norton Town Wards will be contested, although with only seven nominations for six seats in Redfield, only one of the candidates is set to miss out. However, the election will be a lot more keenly contested in the North Ward, where nine candidates will be fighting for only five seats.

These elections will also see five councillors leaving the Town Council, with Pete Mocock, Michael Evans, Steve Plumley, Lynne Clement and Brian Lawrence all standing down.