Every £1.00 of your Council Tax collected helps to pay for the services provided by:

Essex County Council: 74p

Essex Fire Authority: 5p

Essex Police Authority: 8p

Braintree District Council: 11pParish or Town Council: 2p

There are the obvious ones, like refuse collection and street sweeping which benefit everyone. Then there are those services, which protect you without you knowing it, like environmental health - ensuring food safety in pubs, restaurants and shops. Planning services - fighting to keep new building developments in line with a vision for the District. Leisure centres and health promotion, community support for voluntary groups and the meals on wheels service, but some services attract specific extra charges.See the separate leaflet on County Council and Police services, which account for around £19.03 a week in Council Tax.

If you need more details, please write or call into any of the three District Council offices in Braintree, Halstead or Witham, or ask for a copy of the Citizens' Guide.