Budget including council tax bill rise of nearly three per cent is passed

The corporate budget plan for 2023/24 to 2026/27 was passed following a long debate at a full council meeting on Thursday night.

This means council tax bills will increase by 2.99 per cent from April, with leader Mike Bird saying his administration rejected hiking it by 4.99, as permitted by the Government, because they believed people were struggling as a result of the cost of living crisis.

A number of early budget proposals to cut some services were either removed or reduced, including funding for the Citizens Advice (CA) service. The authority had originally proposed to remove the full £240,000 grant but instead has reduced it by £88,200.

The opposition Labour group had tried to introduce an 11th hour amendment aimed at getting rid of the funding cut to the CA, as well as recruiting five more community enforcement officers but this was rejected.

Councillor Bird said: “With our consultation we put it out there, we listened and now what we’ve done is taken those comments from the consultation to produce the budget.

“The law says we have to have a balanced budget. Not only do we have a balanced budget this year we have a balanced budget next year with mitigation.

“That’s the first time in the history here of my tenure and Walsall Council’s history. We are the envy of other councils around the country.”

Walsall Labour Group leader Aftab Nawaz said the CA service was needed now more than ever and he was backed by a number of his party members.

He said the cost of maintaining the full grant could be met through general reserves and added: “The CA is very much needed by the people of Walsall.

“Removing the funding at this time is in my view a regressive step. The CA has public support and will be needed more and more as the cost of living crisis gets worse.

“It is sometimes the only place where people can get support and advice. The removal of funding will hit the least well off the most.”

He also said employing five new community protection officers would cost just under £200,000 which could be met by cutting the communications and marketing budget.

Councillor Nawaz said: “Enforcement officers are very much needed with fly-tipping and other crimes needing to be stamped on quickly.

“The additional five officers would be essentially making our communities safer.”

But Councillor Bird said: “Well, a £772 million budget and all we can find is £88,000 for the CA.

“The CA made a conscious decision to move out of Walsall. If you want to see the CA, get on a bus to Sandwell.

“The service the CAB offered has been abysmal for a considerable amount of time. We’ve got 26 hubs now where people can go and seek advice.

“We’ve already said we will look to increase the community protection officers.”

He added: The people in Walsall should be proud of the services we offer. We give value for money, we give leadership, we give good administration and they get what they ask for.

“The ballot box is where they will make their mind up and this particular budget says this amendment is totally and utterly unnecessary and scraping the barrel to the extreme.”

Independent Blakenall ward councillor Peter Smith said measures including less grass cutting, a reduction in the garden waste service, increases in bulky waste collection charges and re-wilding would be a ‘false economy’ and encourage fly-tipping.

But he was unable to win support for an amendment to scrap these cuts which he wanted to see funded through reserves.

The final annual council tax fees for 2023/24 (with last year’s total in brackets) are:

BAND A: £1,507.36 (£1,455.61)

BAND B: £1,758.59 (£1,698.21)

BAND C: £2,009.81 (£1,940.81)

BAND D: £2,261.05 (£2,183.42)

BAND E: £2,763.50 (£2,668.63)

BAND F: £3,265.96 (£3,153.84)

BAND G: £3,768.40 (£3,639.02)

BAND H: £4,522.09 (£4,366.84)