Pay cut, holidays slashed, but Rotherham council tax frozen

Rotherham Borough Council revealed the move this week as part of budget plans aimed at saving £30.3 million.

The decision—which will keep the rate for a Band D property at £1,203 a year—will also see the council boosted by a £2.3 million Government grant.

It is part of a package of budget proposals aimed at reducing bureaucracy, streamlining management and protecting services for people most in need.

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News of the tax freeze comes in the same week that 15,000 council staff received letters informing them of possible pay cuts and loss of holidays.

Council leader Roger Stone, who will outline the budget to councillors at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, said that it had been influenced by the authority’s recent Money Matters budget consultation, in which thousands of residents took part.

“We cannot pretend that in the current climate we can continue to do what we have always done, in the way we have always done it and neither can we stick our heads in the sand,” he said.

“That would be doing the people of Rotherham a disservice.

“However, by taking a calm and measured approach and listening to what our residents told us in our recent Money Matters consultation, we have been able to tackle areas where people feel we should reduce our investment and protect those services which are high on the list of priorities for our communities.

“For this reason, we are not currently proposing here in Rotherham the wholesale cuts in services and blanket closures that have perhaps been more evident elsewhere in the country.

“Nonetheless, with such a significant budget deficit imposed upon us, we have still had to make some tough choices, which will be reflected in the detailed proposals presented next week.”

Cllr Stone said that the budget was the result of a “calm and measured approach and listening to local people.” The budget proposals are due to be considered by the meeting of the full council in March.

A report to be presented to the Cabinet on Wednesday will explain how the council aims to take advantage of the Government’s council tax freeze incentive scheme, under which councils who set this year’s council tax at no more than the basic level charged in 2010/2011 qualify for a grant calculated using their overall tax base.

It will be funded from a £650 million fund instigated by communities minister Eric Pickles to offer help to hard-working families and those on fixed incomes.

In Rotherham’s case, the estimated benefit will be £2.3 million.

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