WORCESTERSHIRE County Council will increase its spending in 2022/23 to support the most vulnerable people in society, improve the prospects for children, and invest in the economy, environment and highway network.
The County Council has earmarked around £250million of its total budget to fund adult and community services and to improve the outcomes of children and young people in Worcestershire.
The draft budget proposals were set out on January 6 at Cabinet.
Millions of pounds more will be invested in supporting the economic recovery and funding services that are most important to residents, including improving roads, pavements and tackling traffic congestion as well as investing in flood mitigation and street lighting.
The Council’s total proposed budget for 2022/23 is £373.119million, with an extra £25 million earmarked for adult and children’s care (£17.1 million in Adults and £7.9 million in Children’s).
Coun Simon Geraghty, the leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “The budget delivers record funding for adults and children’s social care to protect the most vulnerable in society.
“At the same time, we are investing in those things that residents tell us are important and need improving, such as better roads and pavements, tackling congestion and improving transport.
“We are doing all this whilst keeping the level of our Council Tax to one of the lowest of any County Council in the country”.
By the end of this financial year, the County Council will have spent £52million on its response to the pandemic in 2021/22.
It is proposed that Council Tax will be increased by 3.94 per cent next year.
Three quarters of the increase is to be ring fenced for Adult Social Care services.
The increase is approximately £1 per week for a band D property.
