All local authorities but two have now announced their new rates for the 2021/22 financial year.

Rates are expressed in terms of pence in the pound - this current system based on a 1969 valuation of all the property in the island at that time.

Any properties built or improved since 1969 are compared to a similar property that was in existence at that time and attributed a similar value. That value is in pounds. So a house with a rateable value of £100 would pay £100 x 451 - £451 - in Douglas for example.

Douglas Council’s rate, 451p, is an increase of 1.6% over the previous year.

Council leader David Christian said that Covid-19 had exacted a ’heavy toll’ on finances, but said that the impact had proved ’less than predicted’.

Onchan has decided on a rate of 326p in the pound, an increase of 0.93%. The authority had drawn on its reserves to reduce the impact of a rate rise on residents in the wake of the pandemic.

Union Mills-based Braddan Commissioners has decided to impose one of the largest rate rises of 10.3%, from 203p to 224p in the pound.

Chairman Andrew Jessopp cited the development of a £6.5 million community centre as one of the reasons behind the large rise.

Crosby-based Marown Commissioners announced a rate freeze, remaining at 164p.

Santon has also announced a rate freeze, remaining at 129p.

Ballasalla-based Malew is also freezing its rate at 199p.

Ramsey Commissioners increased the rates by less than 1%, to 415p in the pound.

Arbory and Rushen have set a rate of 136p, a 4.6% increase.

Port St Mary has decided to impose a rate of 349p, a 1% increase.

Port Erin has set a rate of 316p, a 1.9% increase.

Castletown has announced a rate of 304p, a 2% increase, with chairman David Parnell suggesting a shortfall in income from old properties being demolished had been one reason behind the rise.

Peel Commissioners has announced a rate freeze, remaining at 257p.

Patrick has announced a rate of 190p, which represents a rise of 7.95%.

Laxey-based Garff Commissioners, which includes Maughold and Lonan, has announced a rate of 143p, which is a rise of 4.3%.

Bride Commissioners has set the largest increase of any local authority. It has jumped 25% from 48p to 60p.

The board blamed civic amenity site contributions, and highlighted that historically rates have been low with this representing the ’first significant rise’ in years.

Bride is the smallest local authority in the Isle of Man, serving a population of just 382. The largest authority, Douglas, has a population of 28,000, underlining the huge disparity in the structure of local government in the island.

Ballaugh Commissioners have frozen the rate at 120p.

Jurby has also decided upon a rate freeze, keeping it at 119p.

Andreas has set the rate at 118p, a 3.3% increase.

Sulby-based Lezayre has set the rate at 97p, a 5.4% increase.

Chairman Arthur Radcliffe said that this was to put aside funds to cover any potential legal costs that may arise from fighting to oppose Ramsey Commissioners’ bid to extend the town’s boundaries into the parish.

Michael Commissioners will be announcing its rate after a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday).

St John’s-based German is also yet to announce.