The Bearwood Blog- Reading Friends
- Chair vacancy
- Mental health support from Sandwell Kaleidoscope
- Recycling collection suspended
- Help for households in Sandwell struggling financially this winter
- You’re not alone…
- Fred Jeffs – the sweetshop murder
- Help for households struggling financially this winter in Sandwell
- Financial advice sessions for women
- Presents for Bearwood
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So the Council can find some cash for sports clubs, but is it getting anything from the billionaire football moguls or TV cash sloshing around?
No, Tony. We don’t get any from any of the other multinational industries or media moguls either, strangely.
No but it is adding 4 percent to our council tax bills. A tax on many low income families. The council paper (cost?) positively eulogises about this saying it’s not much per week. We also need to remember that the council used to jack the council tax up year on year whilst we had a labour government. Perhaps rather than eulogising about the EU our local MP needs to stamp down on these swinging increases. I haven’t had a pay increase since 2008…..
Actually, the council isn’t adding 4% to your council tax bill. The government have withheld 2% of funding to councils and said if they want the money they will have to put up council tax.
On top of that they have said there is no extra funding to pay for the spiralling costs of adult social and if councils want to ease the bed blocking situation they can raise the council tax by 2%.
You may not have had a pay rise for 8 years, but most people have (otherwise where is the wage inflation coming from that the government keep talking about) but your council tax has stayed the same for at least seven years.
By the way, the council are required by law to publish information about their services. They can either arrange their own printing, or pay the Express and Star to do it.