Town hall bosses have warned that the offer of a council tax freeze for a third year running is just a ‘short-term’ offer.
Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce the Government will freeze council tax bills later today, as part of his speech at the Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham.
Responding to reports over the weekend that the announcement was imminent, the chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Merrick Cockell, said: ‘Any help for councils is a good thing, but we have to be clear that this is a short-term offer.
‘It doesn’t address the huge long-term pressures councils are facing, including bigger cuts than any other part of the public sector and an immediate and growing crisis in funding care for the elderly.
‘Councils could now have to budget for a further future shortfall.’
Suffolk CC’s council leader, Cllr Mark Bee, announced today his authority will freeze council tax bills for another year.
‘Freezing council tax is not without its consequences,’ said Cllr Bee. ‘With increasing costs and demand for services, we’re going to have to work even harder to ensure the front line services that people rely on do not suffer.’
