A MACHYNLLETH councillor has hit out at a decision that will see the town council portion of council tax rise by nearly 15 per cent — saying it will hit poorer residents hard.

Machynlleth Town Council at its meeting on Monday approved a plan to raise its precept — the money from the council tax collected from Machynlleth residents which forms the council’s budget — by over £10,000.

While town clerk Rab Jones told members that it is a “significant increase but justifiable” given the extra responsibilities of the council, Cllr Glenda Jenkins said it was an “awful lot of money” for poorer residents to pay.

The move will mean an extra £7 a year for the average tax-payer, sending the tax for a Band D rated property over £100 a year for the first time.

There is also expected to be a rise in the county council portion.

Cllr Jenkins said: “This is an awful lot of money for a family with children.

“I know we have to provide services for the town but surely there’s something we shouldn’t be paying for it if it means this much of a rise.

“To us, £5 or £7 doesn’t sound like a lot of money but to some it is the difference between being warm or not, or having food on the table.

People will rightly want that money in their electric meter, not in our pockets.”

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