Big council tax rise not expected for city

People in Birmingham are unlikely to see a council tax rise of more than 5% next year, the commissioner overseeing the council has said following huge spikes previously.

Tony McArdle was appointed by the government after the city council was put into special measures while facing effective bankruptcy - financial pressure linked in part to equal pay liabilities.

In a two-year period, city residents have seen tax increases of more than 17% to balance the books. While it is not Mr McArdle's decision to make, he said he would be "surprised" if the city had another major hike in store.

He added it would be "extraordinary" if the council felt a need "to go beyond that which is happening nationally".

The commissioner is the city's second since government intervention in October 2023.

In his first media interview since appointment in July this year, the BBC also asked him for his view on the long-running bin strike amid a dispute between the council and members of the Unite union over pay and some job roles.

Mr McArdle said he believed the council had made "a generous and comprehensive offer to the trade union" but no progress had been made since the summer.

He said there was "nowhere further for the council to go" so Unite needed to move.

"We cannot go on with this running dispute, there has to be a fully-functioning refuse service available to the city that is cost effective," he said.

He encourage Unite to "take responsibility for the fact that they too need to make refuse services work in this city and come back to work".

With elections due across Birmingham next year, he said he anticipated a lot of "new, enthusiastic members" would be elected.

That should be seen as positive news, he said.

He added he had confidence that changes being made to get finances back on track would succeed.

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