Staffordshire County Council agrees to tax rise
Staffordshire residents will get a council tax increase for the second year running as councillors struggle to find required savings in the face of Government reductions in funding.
Budget plans revealed by Staffordshire County Council show an increase in its council tax bill of 1.95 per cent from April as it looks to save £30 million in the next financial year.
But bosses have not ruled out a further two per cent rise, with £8.9m worth of the required savings yet to be found.
Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement that councils would have the option of the additional increase but that any income would be ring-fenced for spending on adult social care.
The county council has been told a revenue support grant from the Government, which provided £89m this year, will cease in four years with an assumption it will decrease by 25 per cent each year.
Councillor Ian Parry, deputy leader of the council with responsibility for finance, said it was too early to tell if the council would have to introduce the additional two per cent rise.
He added this year's budget had been the most difficult to prepare since the global financial crisis.
