Walsall residents to 'pay more and receive less' after council tax hike

Walsall Council approved its budget for the 2022/23 municipal year, which includes a 2.99 per cent raise in tax, at a meeting on Thursday. This includes one per cent ring-fenced for adult social care services.

Council leader Mike Bird said this represented a rise of between 10-15p per day for most borough residents, and added a balanced budget had been set as legally required.

Labour group leader Aftab Nawaz said the budget didn’t go far enough to support hard-up residents and attempted to put through an amendment to create a £1 million ‘Cost of Living’ crisis fund.

But the motion was branded “tokenism” by Councillor Bird and was voted down by the council.

The budget sees the council having to make £18.9m in ‘savings’ which Councillor Bird said had been achieved through efficiencies brought about through changes to the way the authority works.

But he added they will be investing £34.7m revenue in front line services along with £186m during the coming year.

Councillor Bird said: “The council tax being proposed means bands A-C will see an increase of between 10p and 15p per day. I think that’s a very relevant figure.

“Some people out there believe the majority of council tax, if not all, funds the services this council provides. That is not true.

“Our budget is balanced for the year 22/23 and we are investing significantly in our frontline services, caring for our young, elderly and vulnerable residents.

“A total revenue investment of £34.7m in the year 22/23. To ensure we continue we continue to invest in priority services we have identified £18.9m in efficiency savings.”

Councillor Nawaz said the budget would "put greater burden on the residents of Walsall".

“The past 10-12 years, we have seen huge cuts to core funding to Walsall by the Conservative government impacting on services provided to our residents in Walsall," he said.

“Since 2010, they’ve cut £105m from Walsall. Our most vulnerable adults and children and all our directorates have felt the brunt of cuts from an uncaring Conservative Government.

“Council tax makes up almost 20 per cent of the total budget. In 2013/14, council tax only made up 14 per cent of the total budget. Local people are being asked for more and more and getting less and less.

“People across Walsall are suffering from a cost of living crisis. In many cases it is a catastrophe and this budget does not do enough to tackle the immediate and tragic issues facing residents.

“I accept a council is limited on how much it can do but we should do as much as we can and certainly more than is offered in this budget.

“The cost of gas, electric, food and other basics is rising exponentially. People will be faced with an awful choice of heating or eating.”

The amendment proposed £500,000 from general reserves to be added to the existing £500,000 crisis support scheme.

But Councillor Bird said: “If the Labour group thought they had the expertise to do so, they could have put forward an alternative budget. They seek to put some minor thing on the table that will give them a political sound-bite.

“There is a crisis fund and there is a provision that if that fund proves not to be enough then the cabinet can make that decision to top up that fund.

“Half a million pounds is a drop in the ocean with the amount of money we have to spend.

“One of the priorities of the budget is the help that we are actually putting forward to the very people you wish to purport to represent. This is without doubt tokenism.”

Independent councillor Pete Smith also voted against the amendment because he said supporting it would mean backing budget cuts and the rise in council tax.

“We see this ritual every year. We see council tax rises and increased cuts in services.

“The council would still be acting prudently if it didn’t increase council tax this year.

“The council tax rise will bring the council about £4 million in extra revenue. I think that extra could be found by taking £4 million out of £16 million in general reserves.”

But Councillor Bird said the authority’s reserves must not be compromised.