RESIDENTS in Alcester and Studley will be paying more for Warwickshire County Council services after the authority voted to increase its council tax take by almost four per cent.
The move comes as the council looks to make £34million in savings in 2017/18, part of the £67million it needs to save over four years.
The rise consists of a hike of 1.99 per cent plus a ring-fenced two per cent for adult social care.
The county takes the largest share of council tax and the increase means a band D property will see its bill increase to £1,298.88 with the precepts for the emergency services and Stratford District Council still to be added to the total.
It represents a rise of £49.86 on 2016/17, from £1,249.02, and is equal to an extra 96p a week for local householders in a band D property.
Meanwhile, Warwickshire is to cut some £2million from its funding contribution to the county’s Fire and Rescue Service – but without closing any stations – as well as slicing into the budgets for services like roads and libraries.
There will also be less funding in the budget for caring for the elderly and support for recovering addicts.
The county council has no overall majority rule and Councillor Clive Rickhards (Lib Dem, Studley) who voted against the budget, described it as a ‘Conservative one with concessions to Labour’.
“The main area of debate was over how far we should accept the government’s offer of increasing the levy for adult social care, which is surely one of the great pressing needs of our time,” said Coun Rickhards.
“We argued for a higher initial increase this year to deal with this problem but this was rejected in favour of a higher increase next year.
“We were also opposed to the cuts in the children’s services budget which will total £1.1million by April 2018 and it remains to be seen where those cuts will be made.”
Stratford District Council will set its council tax level at its meeting on Monday, February 27.
