Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council addresses the funding plans and problems for not only this year but also 2021.
The mayor began the meeting (2nd March) addressing the recent death of Mary Finch, Mrs Finch served as the Mayoress of Dudley during the year 1998 to 1999.
Mayor David Stanley told the council: "It is with great sadness that I have to report on the death of Mary Finch… I would like to extend sincere condolences to Councillor Ken Finch and his family at this very sad time."
The Mayor then called upon Councillor Steve Clark; Wollaston and Stourbridge Town Ward, to discuss the revenue budget statutory setting of the council tax for the year 2020 to 2021.
He told the council that Dudley is a low spending and low taxing council that has already made net savings of 65 million pounds over the last 9 years.
However, due to the low rate of council tax in Dudley compared to the average metropolitan councils Dudley has 14 million pounds per year less spending power.
“Over the last 9 years, we have watched our resources fall by 100 million pounds, which is 31% in real terms”- Councillor Steve Clark.
Steve Clark told those at the meeting that next year these resources will rise by little over 3% in real terms; this is the largest increase in a decade.
These funds shall be put towards assisting vulnerable adults and children.
Over the next 3 years, the council will be providing an additional investment of 7.7 million pounds a year to adult social care.
This will help manage hospital demand as well as rising numbers, complexity and costs of care.
“We’re providing additional investment rising to 760 thousand pounds a year into children services mainly top support our services to children with special needs and disabilities” – Councillor Steve Clark.
He concluded that Dudley Council was already seeing big changes with the funding to demolish Cavendish House secured and that these next 3 years the council will be regenerating the investments of Dudley.