In all parishes, the fee is currently £10 for all dogs more than six months in age.
It has been £10 since 2012, when it was doubled from £5. The suggestion now is to increase it by 150% to £25.
Constables cannot raise the tax themselves, it will have to be taken to the States for a decision. But they can make a recommendation for a proposal to be raised, which is what is set to be discussed at next week’s meeting.
‘We feel it should go up a bit, the vast majority of people who come in to pay it are surprised it is still only £10,’ said Vale constable Richard Leale. ‘An amenable rise should be in place.’
Failure to pay dog tax can lead to fines up to £500. Last year, dog tax was paid for 900 dogs in Vale, but the total number of dogs in the parish is unknown, and there are concerns that policing the system is completely unenforceable.
Some parishes dedicate the sums raised to specific community projects, or to pay for dog waste bins.