Stafford Borough Council’s ruling Cabinet decided to freeze its council tax level for 2011/12 at a meeting last week.
The move follows Staffordshire County Council’s decision to freeze council tax and means that Stone residents will only have to pay tax rises imposed by the police, fire service and town and parish councils.
Members of Stafford Borough’s Cabinet decided on the freeze on Thursday 6th January and also committed to lower-than-inflation future tax rises.
The proposal to freeze council tax levels comes as the borough council is struggling to cope with a 14.8 per cent cut in Government grants for next year. During this financial year the council received £8.76 million in grant cash, but this will be cut to £6.4 million for 2011/12. And the authority faces further cuts of 11.5 per cent in 2012/13.
For 2011/12, the Government has offered councils an incentive to freeze council tax levels – offering funding which is the equivalent of a 2.5 per cent rise. In Stafford borough’s case, this will be £171,000.
Police and fire authorities, as well as town and parish councils, have until February to decide on the level of council tax they will charge for next year.
