A recommendation that Erewash Borough Council raises its share of council tax for 2019/20 by 2.99% is expected to be sent to the council’s budget setting meeting on Thursday 7 March.

Councillors at a meeting of Council Executive next week (19 February) look set to support the increase – which works out at £5.42 p.a. or 11p a week – and, if agreed, it will mean that the council’s charge for a Band D property in Erewash will rise to £186.59 p.a..

The proposed increase comes at a time when local authorities continue to face financially challenging times with continuing reductions in government funding.

The council has worked to achieve significant savings over the last few years and the outsourcing of its leisure services on 1 February this year will bring direct savings of just over £600,000 p.a. together with anticipated back office administrative savings of approximately £300,000 p.a.

The council is working towards further savings in the region of £1.2m to enable balanced budgets to be set in future years.

Councillor Wayne Major, Erewash Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources, says:

“We have worked very hard over the last five years to balance our budgets against the backdrop of continuing financial pressures. Going forward, we are under no illusion that the challenge remains a tough one – but we can assure residents that they remain at the centre of everything we do. We have done everything in our power to maintain and protect frontline services and that remains at the forefront of our work as we strive to meet the challenges ahead.”

The meeting of Council Executive is at Long Eaton Town Hall on Tuesday 19 February at 10.30am. The budget-setting Full Council meeting is at Ilkeston Town Hall on Thursday 7 March at 7pm.