LITTLE and often will continue to be the mantra for town council tax increases in Dorchester.

The authority has decided to maintain its policy over increases in its precept and to reduce cash reserves.

Mayor Richard Biggs said this week that the policy of small, frequent increases had served the council well and, unlike some other town and large parish councils, had avoided the need for sudden big increases in its share of the council tax.

He told Monday evening’s full council meeting that the authority had also decided that the time might be right, with low interest rates, to take on some additional debt, if there were projects which warranted it.

Policy committee chair Cllr Susie Hosford said the council had also decided to reduce its level of reserves. She said the amount sat in the bank had once stood at around £1million, but could now go down to £100,000, a figure she described as ‘perfectly adequate’ for a council of its size.

The council heard that it had been helped in keeping its share of the council tax down by a growth in housing in the town, which has brought in additional income – mainly from at Poundbury and Brewery Square as well as from some smaller development, but a report warned that continuing growth could not be relied on.

The discussion paper on the council’s medium-term financial strategy suggested keeping future increases roughly in line with annual inflation levels; assuming no further increase in taxable properties in the town and being prepared to take on some debt for specific projects if it improves the council’s own service infrastructure, as well as to operate with a general reserve level of £100,000.

Councillors were told that the strategy may have to be re-visited once Dorset Council and the town council produced their new corporate plans next year.