Express & Star

Taxpayers to have their say on cuts in Wolverhampton City Council budget

Taxpayers in Wolverhampton will get to decide how much they want to cut from each city council department's budget with a new online simulator.

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It is believed to be the first time any local authority in the country has used the software, called Simalto, for its entire budget and will mean residents get to say how they would make around £60m of cuts over the next five years.

The system will go live on Friday at the council's website www.wolverhampton.gov.uk

The consultation is intended to demonstrate the difficult decisions councillors will have to make over the coming years in the wake of huge spending cuts, coupled with four successive years of council tax freezes.

The city council's finance boss Councillor Andrew Johnson said: "We want to help local people get a clearer view of the challenges we face as a council – and we also want a better understanding of what their priorities are."

The coalition government has so far given councils funding the equivalent of either a two per cent or one per cent increase in council tax each year, but only if they keep the rates the same.

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