A five per cent council tax rise as budget is approved
Calderdale residents will see their council tax rise by five per cent from April now councillors have approved the borough’s 2023-24 budget.
There will be no cuts to services, but that is dependent on the 4.99 per cent rise – the 2.99 per cent rise and an extra two per cent ringfenced for social care – which the government is allowing councils to make without having to hold a local referendum on the issue, said council leader Coun Tim Swift.
And in a late addition to the Labour budget approved by a majority of councillors, £180,000 has been earmarked to deliver a 100 per
cent council tax exemption for foster carers.
Coun Swift (Lab, Town)
said this was an invest to save proposal to help attract more foster carers to look after children, which in turn should reduce the number of very high cost external placements currently needed.
Coun Swift said the ruling Labour group had three principles, to maintain frontline services without cuts, to ensure social care was funded and to deliver a balanced budget that also had “prudent provision” for 2024-25 and 2025-26 in uncertain times.
This was against a background of coming out of Covid, the cost of living crisis, high inflation, rising energy bills, rising construction prices, significant falls in revenue from sources such as car parking, and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Years of grant cuts and fallout from “disastrous” decisions of the national Liz Truss prime ministership also affected what the council could do, he said.
Headroom in the £197 million budget of around £700,000 also means the council will also be able to increase housing standards enforcement – in the aftermath of the death of Rochdale toddler Awaab Ishak amid wider poor quality housing concerns – and also give some help to early years education providers.
Coun Swift said: “The problem councils face this year is that simply to stand still a council tax rise is inevitable.
“When you add to that increased demand on services, particularly social care, then an increase in council tax is unavoidable – the alternatives would be too great,” he said.