A RISE in council tax is on the cards for Monmouthshire with a possibility of a merge between tourist information centres and museums across the county.

The budget proposals for Monmouthshire, available online, are to be presented at cabinet today (12th February). The cabinet will meet to discuss the proposals before they are presented to full council on Thursday 27th February.

In a 766-page report published by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC), areas in several sectors were identified to illustrate where savings could be made. MCC needs to close a £9.3 million gap between expenditure and resources.

Changes to leisure services would generate a saving of £134,000. This includes charging for over 60s to use the pool in holiday times, a charge for sauna use and membership charges.

Council tax looks set to increase by 3.95 per cent each year over the next four years. According to the report published by MCC, the scheme previously provided a scheme to help pensioners pay their council tax.

The report states: "Cabinet have carefully considered the affordability of continuing the scheme in relation to helping pensioners with their council tax payments and have concluded that the scheme cannot continue now that specific grant funding has ceased."

The report dedicates a section to museums, castles and tourism where it states that tourist information centres and museums should be merged to reduce their running costs.

The Shire Hall was described as an "irreplaceable" tourist site with the report explaining that more emphasis should be placed on drawing people in to visit the site for meetings, weddings and for historical interest.

It was suggested that improvements should be made to visitor facilities at Caldicot Castle, which is hoped to give tourism a boost.

For school meals it was suggested they should rise to £2, generating £69,000.

Dimming street lights by 50 per cent and switching 4,500 residential lights off at designated times, was said to reduce costs and cut carbon emissions by around 1,000 tonnes per year, with a target saving of £180,000 during 2014/15.

Further savings were identified in the form of fire service levy, a reduced contribution to the crematorium and further efficiency savings in insurance, libraries and communications.

Councillor Phil Murphy, Cabinet member with responsibility for finance, said: "We all know that Britain's public finances are in their worse state since the end of the Second World War.

"But while others are spending time arguing about why this is the case and whose fault it is, we have chosen to spend our time responding to the challenge with purpose and in line with our stated priorities.

"Our priority has been to see continued investment in things that matter to the people of Monmouthshire."

It was stated at a public consultation meeting in Caldicot Comprehensive School last month that MCC will be focusing its resources around its three main priorities: business and job opportunities, education and vulnerable people.

To view the full report visit: http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk">www.monmouthshire.gov.uk and view the section 'minutes and agendas'.