Express & Star

Black Country taxpayers to fork out £50 million for West Midlands mayor's office

Taxpayers in the Black Country are set to pay nearly £50 million to fund the West Midlands super council over the next year.

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West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

The annual budget for the Tory Mayor Andy Street's office includes a contribution of £118.8m from the West Midlands – with £49.3m coming from the coffers of the cash-strapped local authorities of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

It is set to be agreed on Friday along with Mr Street's £12-a-year bump to council tax bills which a Labour MP has criticised for 'piling on the pain for hard-pressed Midlands families'.

The seven members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) pay to fund Mr Street's office. They include Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.

The £118.8m figure represents a drop of £4.5m on last year.

Sandwell's contribution will be £13.5m, Dudley will pay £13.3m, Walsall pays £11.7m, and Wolverhampton's contribution is set to be £10.8m.

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WMCA bosses say the proposed budget would ensure the £36.5m being given to the region by the Government this year is spent on infrastructure projects such as the Midland Metro and Sprint.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, WMCA lead member for finance and investment, said: “Since the launch of devolution by the Government the constituent and non-constituent members of the WMCA have worked hard to establish an organisation that is delivering real benefits for the West Midlands.

“This has resulted in substantial inward investment into the region of public sector money that would otherwise have been swallowed up by Whitehall.

“The WMCA has achieved a lot in a very short space of time. It requires funding to keep that work going and this figure represents superb value for money.”

Mr Street said his council tax precept will raise £7.5m, which will be used to fund his congestion-busting transport plans for the region and the running of his office.

It comes at the same time as Labour's West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson is also planning to raise tax by £12-a-year.

Birmingham Labour MP Liam Byrne said: "I’m afraid the Mayor’s new tax hike is piling on the pain for hard-pressed Midlands families.

"Mr Street promised to look everywhere before asking for new taxes.

"Now he’s been forced to raid local families because Theresa May’s Tories shortchanged the West Midlands and spent £1 billion on buying the votes of Northern Ireland’s DUP to prop up her shaky government.

"Mr Street also has questions to answer about why he’s planning to spend by 2020 more on ‘leadership and support’ than on delivering new homes, health and boosting the economy. Taxpayers have got a right to know."