Council tax rise approved by West Sussex County Council
The budget for 2018/19 which has had to fill a gap of £22.3m, was agreed by the authority which faces increased demand for services, higher costs and reduced funding from central Government.
Labour and Lib Dem amendments, including £750,000 to continue helping schools pay the apprenticeship levy, were both defeated.
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Hide AdThe Lib Dems unsuccessfully proposed a further one per cent increase on the social care levy, taking the total council tax rise up to 5.95, to generate another £4.1m for care services, alongside plans for another £1.5m for high needs pupils.
Labour’s budget amendment included an extra £220,000 for the school counselling fund and £430,000 to tackling inequalities in Key Stage 2 results for English and maths.
The council originally assumed a 3.95 per cent precept increase for 2018/19 last year but is has taken advantage of the Government offer to increase bills by another percentage point to 4.95 per cent.
This extra money have allowed the authority spend £2.5m in new one-off investments.
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Hide AdThese include £600,000 to tackle homelessness by developing options for temporary accommodation, £800,000 for infrastructure feasibility to develop schemes to bid for new Government, £500,000 for a white line and signage road programme, £200,000 to accelerate the installation of solar panels, £100,000 to top up a hardship funding to help residents in financial difficulties with their council tax and £100,000 redevelop a programme to engage with volunteers.
More to follow.