Mayor Andy Street rules out council tax rise until 2020
Andy Street has scrapped plans to increase council tax in the West Midlands for at least two years.
The region's Mayor had wanted to raise the Mayoral council tax precept by £10.80-a-year for Band D properties but was voted down by Labour council leaders on the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
And Mr Street has now confirmed there will be no council tax rise for the duration of his current term of office, which is set to run until 2020.
The Tory Mayor says he has secured so much Government investment that he no longer needs to raise the precept.
The West Midlands has received £1.7 billion since Mr Street was elected in May 2017.
Mr Street said, “I am delighted that I have been able to give this commitment not to increase bills for council taxpayers in the West Midlands.
“The West Midlands has come together to bring in more money from Government and is looking to attract private sector investment.
"As we leave the EU, we will push to secure funding which is coming back from Brussels. We are also working hard to keep costs as low as possible."
Mr Street unveiled plans to increase council tax earlier this year to pay for transport plans and the running of his office.
That will now be done through new funding from Government – the Mayoral Capacity Fund – and the increases in business rate receipts in the region due to economic growth.
And in his Budget Chancellor Philip Hammond announced an extra £71.5m for transport projects for the West Midlands through the transforming cities fund.
Council leaders on the WMCA had been expected to revisit the prospect of raising the Mayoral precept next year.
