Dwindling funding blamed for council tax hike plan
BBCFunding cuts have been blamed for plans to raise council tax by the maximum allowed without a referendum.
Cumberland Council said it had to save £32m to balance its budget, with funding from central government expected to fall by £16.5m for the financial year starting in April.
The Labour-led authority has proposed to increase council tax by 4.99%, meaning residents will pay between £1.22 and £1.83 more a week, depending on the type of house they live in.
Councillor Barbara Cannon, cabinet member for finances, said there had been 15 years of underfunding for local authorities and "Cumberland is not an exception".
"The increase is never the choice we make lightly," she said.
"The bottom line for us is we are doing what we can to protect the most vulnerable people in society."
During a meeting of the executive committee on Tuesday, the council's director of children and family wellbeing Martin Birch formally asked the authority to review whether the resources in the budget remain sufficient to safely meet statutory duties.
Catherine Bell, the council's chief finance officer said risks had been identified in the budget report presented to the council and further work was needed to assess if more budget recommendations were required for a strong budget.
'Not enough savings'
Cannon said the picture was "extremely challenging", with demand for services rising faster than funding.
She added the council's "transformation plan" had already delivered millions of pounds worth of savings, while continuing to invest on roads, infrastructure and regeneration projects in places such as Carlisle and Millom.
Labour councillor Joseph Ghayouba, the chairman of the business and resources overview and scrutiny committee, said he would like the group to be more involved in the budget process next year.
Ghayouba said members were concerned about the demand on children's services, as well as the wider transformation programme.
"I think that next year is key because there have been some savings, some efficiencies, but not anywhere near, I think it's fair to say, where we would have liked it to be."
The executive committee approved the recommendations in the budget and a final decision is expected to be made by the full council on 3 March.
Speaking after the meeting councillor Gareth Ellis, the deputy leader of the Conservative group, said the budget was a "catastrophe", reports the Local Democracy Reporting service.
"It's based on selling assets and land that the council own, and it's also based on reducing services. It's not only a catastrophe this year."
He added whoever won the next election in 2029 would find "the most incredibly awful financial situation."
