COVENTRY City Council’s budget for the year ahead contains no planned cuts to services but a proposed council tax rise of just under three per cent and a two per cent adult social care precept.
The proposed budget for April to next March will go before councillors for approval later this month.
The bills increase is expected to be just over five per cent when police and fire service rises are added- around £1.65-a-week for an average Coventry household.
The band D Council Tax bill rise from £1,820 to around £1,910, with those in bands A and B seeing an annual rise of around £70.
The council said the increase was being proposed to address the rising costs of care in the city.
The proposals went through consultation in December, setting out how it planned to continue to protect frontline services, continue with its One Coventry Council Plan and maintain its capital programme.
The council said at the start of the financial year the authority began with a £17million budget gap and faced inflationary pressures of £22million over the past year due to rising costs in social care, pay awards and energy prices among other factors.
The budget will be confirmed at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 21, before they will need to be formally approved at the council meeting later that day.
Coun Richard Brown, cabinet member for strategic finance and resources, said: “We don’t want to raise council tax, but we have to in order to pick up the shortfall that the government fails to provide to the city, forcing local people to pick up the tab for national failings.
“We have received some money in the Government’s financial settlement to help with inflation costs, but this does nothing to help meet the additional challenges we face, including the cost-of-living crisis.
“Despite this, we have managed to set out a balanced budget and continue to protect frontline services.
“The council is working really hard to manage its finances effectively and be as self-sustainable as possible, with savings and additional income in areas such as property rationalisation and commercial income included in wider savings of £14million next year.
“I am especially pleased that we have found additional funding to invest in further fly-tipping services, something people have told me is really important to them, as well as building on the recent great work around culture and sport.”
Coventry Conservatives were putting the final touches on their alternative budget at the time we went to press.
