There is every indication now that we all face the prospect of higher local authorities charges come April as well as reduced council services.

The writing was writ large on the wall just before Christmas when the settlement figures for each council was published by the Senedd.

While councils are to receive an average increase of 7.9 per cent in their funding from the Welsh Government, that is still not enough to let the status quo remain. Inflation and soaring prices has paid put to that, and the only way forward seems to be having to pay more to our council for less.

As it is, much of the service provided by councils across this region are substandard now — and things are only going to get worse once the final figures are tallied up.

If you live in Gwynedd, you should be asking why the council only received an increase of 7 per cent – below the Welsh average and one of the lowest of all 22 authorities in Wales.

Last year it received £213 million. This year, the settlement is £227m.

Council leader Dyfrig Siencyn has already warned that since the Westminster Government’s autumn budget, Gwynedd anticipated that things will be bleak, with it facing a significant financial shortfall in 2023/24.

“But in reality, this settlement is among the worst in real terms that we as a council have ever received,” the leader noted.

Ceredigion County Council will see an 8.2 per cent increase in its budget from March, giving it an extra £9.8m compared to last year’s settlement of £119.2m.

Powys County Council is set to receive an 8.7 per cent increase in funding from the Welsh Government for the 2023-2024 financial year.

But while most living in this region accept that higher taxes and rates are inevitable, what we cannot accept is that very public representatives we elected to our councils — those who tell us how to eat our porridge, to like it or lump it — are silent when it comes to the largesse that they will receive through their “independent” pay review process.

No a single one has stepped forward to pass on their increase. Oh, if only us taxpayers could pass on our increases...