Yesterday (March 1st 2016) Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council agreed a budget proposed by the Council’s ruling Labour Group Labour will now be delivering on their election promises to freeze Council Tax and protect adult social care services
Councillor Sue Jeffrey, Redcar and Cleveland Council leader said .
“This is a budget which delivers our promise to freeze Council Tax at a very difficult time for many.
“But Government have made it clear that cash to fund the additional cost of care for the growing number of vulnerable older people in our Borough must be raised locally. This means we have not been able to avoid the “Adult Social Care Precept”, this is a levy of 2% of our Council Tax base.
“Overall, Government cuts mean we have less spending power than many wealthier Boroughs in England. We have cut £56m since 2010, we will have a further £7.4m reduction in spending power this year and more to come. In total, in the ten years to the end of the decade Redcar and Cleveland will have had to manage nearly £90m of cuts.
“This is grossly unfair particularly in the light of the massive job losses we have experienced including at SSI and Boulby Potash, and what is worse government plans mean more and more we will depend on what cash we can raise from local people and businesses to fund essential services.
“Despite this blow I am determined that Redcar and Cleveland will have a prosperous future and will fight to bring new jobs and investment to the Borough, both through the work of the Council and as part of the new Tees Valley Combined Authority.
“We put this budget before the full council this afternoon at the Full Council Budget meeting. We are a minority party, but despite this, no amendments whatsoever to alter or vary our budget proposals were made by any of our three main opposition groups . The budget will therefore be based on a number of main principles;
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No rise in Council Tax
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Acceptance of the 2% Adult Care Precept
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A ban on borrowing by the council in the coming financial year for capital projects
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Variations in the use of the “Minimum Revenue Provision” which allows for adjustments to the debt repayment of local councils and which can produce annual savings
We put this budget forward in the belief that this is a budget for fairness for the people of our Borough, and we now intend to build on today’s council verdict which was to endorse that budget”.