Council tax and rent to be frozen for first time in 20 years
Council tax and rent will both be frozen in Cannock for the first time in more than 20 years, it was announced today.
Bosses on the district council say the move is to help hardworking families in the area.
A decision to freeze both rates from April was made at a meeting of the ruling Labour party this week and the matter will go to full council next month.
Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson said today: "The Labour group met this week and we agreed to freeze council tax and rent for those living in council-owned homes.
"It's the first time that both have been frozen at the same time this century. It will come before full council in February but we expect it to go through.
"This will help hardworking residents in Cannock Chase that have been struggling in recent years.
"For tenants they've had increases on their rents over the years. This will give them a well earned break. No services will be cut when we set the budget."
It will be the first time both council tax and rent have been frozen since 1993.
There are 5,500 council-owned homes in Cannock and surrounding towns such as Rugeley and Hednesford.
Staffordshire County Council is currently proposing to increase its council tax bills by almost two per cent.
Cannock Chase Council is faced with tackling a shortfall over the next four years. The authority is yet to set its budget for 2015/2016 but bosses have forecast a deficit of £578,000 in 2017-18.
The authority is looking at ways to cut costs now to protect services and jobs in the future.
Sharing buildings and services is just one of the ways in which the district council will pull in funds to reduce the potential shortfall.
It also wants to keep and use more of the business rates it collects from employers. It would use them to invest in the area, rather than sending them to central government.
Cannock Chase is also sharing human resources and IT with Stafford Borough Council, and it is making more use of its council offices in Beecroft Road.
The building is being shared with staff from the NHS, clinical commissioning groups and Staffordshire County Council. Other areas being looked at to save money include a senior management restructure.
