At the meeting of Wyre Forest District Council's Cabinet to be held tonight, Conservative Councillor John Campion will propose freezing the District's element of the Council tax for the third year, in addition to proposing an additional £500,000 be invested in supporting local businesses.
Supporting the economy in Wyre Forest remains a key priority for the District Conservative Administration and this additional investment is proposed following £1,000,000 invested this year following the "State of the Area" debate on the local economy. The funding will be used to continue to support local apprenticeships, incentives to fill empty shops, small business support and improvements to Kidderminster Town Centre.
Central Government is active in supporting local councils. Over the last two years, the Government has provided grants of around £2 billion to help freeze council tax and keep the flow of money to the services people need. Where a council seeks to freeze its revenue budget, central government steps in to pay a 1% grant to help. The net effect to local taxpayers is a zero increase in council tax bills.
Mark said: "Supporting taxpayers through these difficult times is incredibly important. Tough decisions have had to be made to resolve Labour's debt crises. Yet this policy is a way that central government can help local authorities such as Wyre Forest to deliver zero increases in the council tax and increase crucial services at the same time. I hope that the whole council supports the cabinet's proposals when it is their turn to vote. This council has already driven out waste through rationalising their property portfolio and they are investing into our community's local business scene. This is incredibly important and forward thinking, and I am delighted to support the work they are doing."