Walsall Council must make £100m in savings

Services and jobs are expected to be hit as part of the cost-cutting measures at the local authority.

The council has already made more than 450 redundancies over the past four years and has shaved £32m from its spending in the last two.

It comes after changes to the Government grant given to the local authority.

Mike Bird, council leader, said: "We're working harder than ever to make Walsall a better place for everyone. We'll have less money and fewer people so we'll be able to do less but we'll make the best of what we've got.

"It's important that we're level with everyone. The public sector has a desperately tough future and this is affecting us in Walsall too."

Budgets and the council tax level are now being drawn up for next year.

Finance boss councillor Chris Towe said they would do all they could to help businesses and create jobs.

"There's a range of things we're focussing on because they are important to Walsall people," he said.

"We're also helping them lead healthier lives and older people live independently, as well as giving children the best start in life they can.

"We know the size of the problem and we'll endeavour to deal with it as best we can to minimise the impact on staff and residents."

The authority was forced to scrap 166 posts as part of £13m savings this year.

Public toilets were closed, market rents increased and garden waste collections suspended for three months a year.

In 2011 councillors were heckled amid protests to one of the town's most controversial budgets to claw back £17m.

More than 400 posts were axed, Darlaston market was shut and funding for the Ring-and-Ride service cut.

The meals on wheels contract with Sodexo was also ended.

Councillor Ian Shires, leader of the Liberal Democrats, who run the council in a coalition with the Conservatives, said: "We're facing very difficult times in the public sector."