Increase in council tax one step closer (From Stourbridge News)

Increase in council tax one step closer

10:30am Tuesday 9th February 2010

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WORCESTERSHIRE County Council’s plans to raise council tax by 2.5 per cent have moved a step closer.

However, the figure is just slightly more than the 2.44 per cent which was proposed in December.

The Conservative-run council’s cabinet agreed to send its budget proposals for 2010/11 – which also includes increasing the amount it will spend on adult social care and improving rural roads and footpaths – to full council.

The budget contains no provision for a staff pay award but concerns have once again been raised about the cost of implementing the Labour Government’s Personal Care at Home Bill in which all elderly people in need of day-to-day living assistance will be entitled to free care in their homes.

That could come into effect in October and the council has estimated it could cost County Hall about £1.5 million for the last six months of the financial year alone.

Speaking after yesterday’s meeting Conser-vative councillor Adrian Hardman, cabinet member for finance, said: “The Personal Home Care Bill has definitely altered our thinking over recent weeks.

“We’d already earmarked to put an additional £3 million into the adult social care budget and these new responsibilities mean that amount will have to be considerably higher.

“We do not want to pass on all our financial issues to residents however and we’ve done our best to keep the council tax increase as low as possible.”

The proposed 2.5 per cent council tax increase will see bills for a Band D property rise by £25.34 to £1,039.06.

That does not take into account rises to come from district and parish councils, the police and the fire service.

Your Worcester News previously reported how the county council’s proposed budget also contains an additional £15 million for improving the condition of rural roads, another £3 million for improving pavements and another £1 million towards safeguarding vulnerable children.

A further £8.5 million is also proposed to be put towards flood defences.

This is the last budget the council will draw up before plans to make £45 million savings by 2014 kick in. The savings will be achieved through a mix of efficiency savings, cuts, and the transformation of how services are delivered.

Opposition parties have until next Monday to put forward an alternative budget before it goes before the full council on Thursday, February 18. That is when a final decision will be made.

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