COVENTRY will see no cuts to services but a council tax rise of just under three per cent and a two per cent adult social care precept in the next financial year.
City council members voted through the 2023/24 council tax proposal and budget reports plus a medium-term financial strategy for 2023 to 2026 during Tuesday’s meeting.
Increases for 2023/24 will be just over five per cent when police and fire service precept rises are added – equating to an extra £85-per-year for an average Coventry band D household and around £70 for those living in band A and B properties.
The council said the increase would address rising care costs costs with two thirds of the budget going into into children’s services and adult social care.
Coun Richard Brown, the cabinet member for strategic finance and resources, said he was proud the council had achieved a balanced budget despite starting with a £17million shortfall.
“This is a budget that is pragmatic given the challenges that face us but also aspirational,” he said.
An amendment, which was part of the alternative Conservative budget and proposed using £1.6million of reserves for a council tax rise one per cent lower than Labour’s plan, was voted down.
Conservative proposals included an additional £275,000 per year on improving highways and tackling potholes, £275,000 for implementing more road safety measures and an additional £42,000 to tackle graffiti.
Conservative finance spokesman, Coun Tim Sawdon, claimed reserves should be used during tough times and urged councillors to ‘give council taxpayers a break.’
But Coun Brown said reserves were for addressing issues, such as when overspends were necessary, claiming building this cash into a budget was a ‘disaster waiting to happen.’
He added in the 2022/23 fiscal year, there was a £9.5million council overspend in the first quarter followed by £11.3million and £8.5million overspends in the second and third due to inflation and other circumstances.
He said if the Conservative Government was concerned about council tax increases, it would have fixed adult social care instead of ‘passing the buck onto local people and making them pay an extra two per cent’.
