Budget strategy to shape future investment in Wyre Forest
Council bosses in Wyre Forest will finalise budget proposals which will set council tax and shape the authority's new draft medium term financial strategy next week.
The strategy sets out Wyre Forest District Council's spending proposals, investment plans and council tax for the year starting on April 1.
The cabinet's final recommendations will go to full council for sign off later on this month.
The draft budget proposes an increase in council for district council services of less than three per cent. It reflects the views of more than 600 residents who took part in the council’s budget consultation last autumn – with 73 per cent of respondents supported or strongly supported an increase of up to three per cent in council tax.
Wyre Forest District Council leader Graham Ballinger said: "I would like to thank the hundreds of residents who took time to comment and give their views on our budget proposals. We believe our new financial strategy very much reflects what people told us.
"Whatever we decide, most local people are likely to pay an extra 10 pence a week or less for the range of services provided by the district council."
The main proposals in the budget include making a major capital investment of £2.4 million at Brinton Park, allocating an additional £1.5 million to the council's capital portfolio fund to invest in acquiring properties which will create extra income to support services, and ending funding for Kidderminster town centre activities following the vote by businesses last year to create the Kidderminster Business Improvement District.
The cabinet will discuss the budget at a meeting on Tuesday(11).
