Staffordshire County Council approves 3.99% tax hike from April as Reform's first budget passed

The rise will mean residents in Band D properties face a £64.71 increase in their annual Staffordshire County Council tax bill, which will go up to £1,686.42.

Reform UK leaders at the authority have said the rise shows their commitment to keeping charges ‘as low as possible’ however, as it is below the 4.99% maximum rise authorities are allowed to impose without triggering a referendum. In recent years, the previous Conservative administration has increased council tax by 4.99%.

Acting council leader Martin Murray, who presented the budget at Thursday’s full council meeting (February 12), said: “We have huge ambitions for our council and our county, and 2026 is going to be pivotal in so many ways in delivering these foundational changes for a stronger Staffordshire. With local government re-organisation now firmly on the horizon, we are determined to stay focused on delivering for the residents and businesses of Staffordshire.

“It is crucial we are in a good financial shape to deliver this. Through robust financial management and planning, we are in a strong position to do exactly that.

“I am proud that we are delivering a balanced budget for the next year – a huge achievement given the financial challenges and positions of many local authorities. What is truly remarkable is that we are doing so while announcing that Staffordshire’s tax rise will be lower than expected by this government – our increase is lower than many other councils and lower than any increase in the last three years at Staffordshire County Council.

“We are protecting all frontline services. In fact we will be investing more money into those services, investing in key priority areas such as children’s services, highways, our countryside, protecting our beautiful county, residents and businesses, just as we promised.

“We are investing an additional £15m in our highways. We are not just investing without thought – we have identified efficiencies across services that will pay for this investment.

“We are investing £3m, rising to £5.5m, in children and families, providing just shy of 120 additional frontline staff. It’s because of this investment that the Ofsted report not only improved for Staffordshire, but it actually praised the new administration as one of the reasons behind the improvement.”

Conservative councillors brought forward four separate motions to amend the budget at Thursday’s meeting. They called for the removal of highways savings relating to grit bins, street signs and gully cleansing, an increase in the Members’ Highway Fund from £7,000 to £10,000 per member to help fund roadworks in their local areas, a doubling of the Members’ fund for local community projects from £2,500 to £5,000 per member and the bringing forward of capital schemes including Cannock Chase Discovery Centre, Chasewater and library improvements to an earlier date.

All four motions failed to gain sufficient support to be taken forward. But the meeting heard that an increase in the Members’ Fund, which had previously been £10,000 per member before being reduced in recent years, was being considered for future years.

Conservative opposition leader Philip White said: “Broadly speaking, the details contained in this budget are details the Conservative opposition are supportive of because they mirror the plans we put forward for spending and priorities 12 months ago. We’re disappointed the amendments have not been carried forwards – they were amendments we made to try and improve this budget.

“The budget today is a balanced budget for one year – previously it was a balanced budget for three years. However, we now need to move onto the elephant in the room, which is the promises made on every bit of literature that every Reform candidate stood on at the election last May – reduce waste and cut taxes.

“Letters went to residents across the county from Nigel Farage, that talked about Staffordshire County Council being a massively wasteful authority and that Reform would come into Staffordshire County Council, if they were elected as a majority, and root that waste out and cut it, and the savings made would reduce council tax. We turn the clock forward nine months and we have seen an efficiency review that ran for more than half a year; at the conclusion we have seen business as usual savings, the same savings that are in every budget every year.

“You were all elected on a mandate that you were going to reduce waste, make large savings and you were going to cut taxes. Today, we are being asked to increase taxes by 3.99%, in breach of your election pledges.

“If you do vote for it, I hope each and every one of you will apologise to your residents for breaking your promises.”