Council and democracy

Council Tax

Each household in Hertfordshire will receive a Council Tax bill from their District or Borough Council. The money raised through Council Tax is shared between the following authorities which provide a range of services.

Hertfordshire County Council

• Caring and supporting children, young people and families
• Caring for the elderly and vulnerable and people with disabilities, mental health, drugs or alcohol problems
• Fire and rescue services
• Maintaining and improving the road network including improving road safety through engineering
• Co-ordinating bus services and providing home to school transport for children
• Planning for and disposal of waste
• Responding to major planning applications - e.g. housing and mineral extraction
• Economic and community development
• Providing libraries, archives and local studies material
• Protecting consumers against poor quality goods and services, and upholding fair trading laws

Hertfordshire Police Authority

• Policing and crime prevention

District or Borough Council

• Housing and homelessness
• Refuse collection and street cleansing services
• Environmental health
• Leisure services
• Planning and building control
• Car parks and controlled parking zones

Town or Parish Councils

• Allotments
• Village halls
• Cemeteries and closed churchyards