HOUSEHOLDS are to be hit by another inflation-busting council tax rise.
Rugby residents are likely to pay an extra £72.20 a year for an average Band D property.
The Conservative-controlled Warwickshire County Council (WCC) – which takes the lion’s share of the total bill at around 80 per cent – approved a 3.99 per cent increase on Tuesday, the equivalent of an extra £57.20 a year for Band D.
Warwickshire Police, which accounts for just over ten per cent, is calling for a rise of nearly 4.4 per cent – £10 a year.
And an extra £5 a year will be added to Rugby households’ bills if a recommendation by Rugby Borough Council’s Chief Financial Officer is approved at a council meeting on Tuesday (February 25).
The WCC Tories say this year’s budget aims to provide value for money while also ensuring the safety of residents.
But there are also expected to be redundancies within the council to save money. When asked how many staff could lose their jobs, a spokesman declined to comment.
Half of the proposed hike will be ring-fenced to pay for adult social care.
The WCC budget also includes spending more than £8million in children’s social care – with nearly £4million to reduce demand for child social services and prepare youngsters for school.
Nearly £2million will help disabled children access community support, and the same amount will be spent on home-to-school transport.
Demand on services for elderly and vulnerable people will see £14million targeted to cope with winter pressures and integrating health and social care.
The budget also includes £7million to support homelessness projects and initiatives for people at risk due to drug and alcohol abuse, gambling, mental health problems and male suicide.
A climate change fund will receive £4million and the same amount will be given to a venture to deliver commercial investment for the county.
A further £5million will be pumped into improving the economy, including investing in 5G mobile technology.
A WCC Conservative spokesperson said: “We will invest our resources to ensure Warwickshire’s communities and individuals are supported to be safe, healthy and independent and Warwickshire’s economy is vibrant and supported by the right jobs, training, skills and infrastructure.
“We will redouble our efforts to bring inward investment and private and public sector businesses into the county for the benefit of employment and prosperity of our residents and the future of their children.”
Labour claimed that, despite the rise in tax, the budget was ‘full of cuts’ amounting to more than £6million and also paved the way for more in the future, which could total £33million over the next five years.
The Liberal Democrats said more should have been invested into climate change, which the Green Party agreed, adding more needed to be done to cut down on the number of cars on the roads.
