TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have approved a 1.98 per cent rise in council tax for the coming financial year.
The increase – which is subject to approval at next month’s meeting of the borough council – equates to £22.50 a year or 43p a week for an average Band D property.
Members of the council’s executive board approved a £457 million budget – and how required savings of £14 million will be found.
Warrington is one of the lowest funded of the 124 metropolitan and unitary authorities in England receiving £1,739 per household from the government, compared to Liverpool’s £2,623 per household.
It also has one of the lowest levels of council tax.
Cllr Russ Bowden (pictured), executive member for corporate resources oversaw the budget setting process.
He said the principles guiding the difficult decisions were trying to ensure that the council maintains services that protect vulnerable adults and children, focusing on making the council run efficiently to ensure that as many vital frontline services as possible are protected and meeting the council’s legal obligations.
Cllr Bowden said: “Once again Warrington will be disproportionately affected by central cuts to grants.
“In setting this budget elected members and officers have worked very closely together to make as many of the necessary savings as possible through stamping out inefficiencies, reorganising services, using our buying power to secure better deals and by generating more income for the council. However, the stark truth is we have done much of this already.”
Council tax set to rise
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
8 Comments
So yet again we’re subsidising Scousers!
1.98% – so coincidently (I am sure ! ) just below the percentage rise that would legally oblige the council to hold a referendum on the increase
I believe from listening to our friend Eric Pickles that any council coming in just below the percentage rise as Warrington have done will be dealt with by the coalition and effectively fined !!! thus wiping out any gain they may have made by increasing council tax
Thieves, thieves, thieves…… cuts to services cuts to jobs and a hike in Council Tax and yet we are still paying for a Chief Executive that does what exactly for his 6 figure salary???
As far as I can see he spends his time carrying out internal reports on incompetent and highly paid inexperienced officers all of whom are prone to making basic mistakes, for which they are never held to account, because they are said to be overworked and involved in complex schemes like the Arpley Tip and Omega projects.
He gets on a lot of photos too.
When are the locally elected members of WBC going to listen to its residents? We are heading for a triple dip recession. Nobody has any spare cash and yet again we are going to get less for paying more. The coalition are certainly going to deal with all councils who make an increase just below the percentage rise and Warrington again will be a loser. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to hold a referendum on this proposal and see what the residents make of this increase? If the Officers at WBC are not will to be accountable for their actions then the elected Members will have to be. There is an election in May 2013 when residents will have their say as we simply cannot go on raising Council Tax for much poorer services. The Labour Group are seemingly no better than the Lib’Dems before them!
Apart from the rumoured Labour Councillor stepping down, resulting in a by-election for his seat – I think you’ll find that there aren’t any Borough Council elections until 2014 – perhaps that is why the Labour Junta feel happy about imposing this increase.