A Portland councillor agreed to personally reimburse residents if they find themselves in financial hardship following an increase in the island’s precept.

In discussing the 2018/19 budget members of Portland Town Council agreed to increase the precept by just over six per cent.

This will see Band D property owners paying an extra 89 pence per year and Band A and B property owners paying an extra 65 pence.

Increasing the island’s precept has been a contentious issue for a number of years.

In 2014 councillors agreed to hike up the town council precept by almost 1,000 per cent in a move to generate extra money for the island. It meant the precept bill for a Band D property would rise from around £14 to £150 a year.

However, the decision was met with uproar and a petition containing more than 3,000 signatures urging councillors to reconsider.

A further meeting saw a precept increase of 1.99 per cent agreed. The council scrapped decisions made about the budget and precept and finally agreed an increase of 1.99 per cent.

In February 2016 angry residents stormed out of a Portland Town Council meeting in disgust after councillors set an increased council tax precept of 24 per cent. The increase saw Band B property owners pay £2.52 more per year with Band D owners paying £3.60 more.

Portland Town Council derives most of its income from the precept it sets each year.

Discussing the 2018/19 budget at Portland Town Council last week, councillors agreed an expenditure of £90,674, with £81,074 being generated through the precept.

The total precept for the 2016/17 financial year was £63,679, increasing to £76,132 in 2017/18.

Chairman of the meeting, Cllr Ray Nowak said: “If someone is suffering from the increase [in the precept] that we have agreed then I will personally reimburse them. But they will have to prove it to me and the council.

“Most properties on the island are a Band A or B and will pay the price of a first class postage stamp in the increase.”

The town council’s agreed £90,674 expenditure for 2018/19 includes £35,000 for salaries, £5,000 on landscape maintenance, £3,000 on the Neighbourhood plan and £4,000 on projects and events. Councillors agreed an income of £85,674, leaving a deficit of £5,000 which will be paid from contingency funds.