City's council tax bills are frozen

Council tax bills in Wolverhampton will be frozen for the first time ever, it was revealed today.

Bosses also today announced that a planned £40 million cost-cutting programme had now been slashed to £27 million by 2011.

It is the only council in the region to freeze council tax.

Walsall and Cannock Chase councils will have the highest increase at 3.9 per cent, South Staffordshire and Lichfield District Councils are putting the bills up three per cent, Wyre Forest District Council is going for a 2.5 per cent rise, Birmingham City Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council will go for 1.9 per cent, Dudley wants 1.5 per cent and Sandwell Council wants1.4 per cent.

In Wolverhampton council tax bills for each home will rise only by a few pounds a year to pay for the mandatory contributions to West Midlands Police Authority and West Midlands Fire Authority.