Yesterday saw the launch of our budget process for the forthcoming 2019/20 financial year. Whilst the amount of money we receive from government continues to decrease, our strategy of increasing the income we receive locally has helped avert some of the more drastic decisions that other councils have had to face. We have done this by continuing to work hard to attract more businesses to the city, and also improving the area and its appeal, which has seen a continued increase in the number of houses being built in the city. This has in turn lead to a continued increase in business rates and council tax across Stoke-on-Trent, meaning we have been able to avoid some of the harsh decisions made by the previous Labour administration.
You can read more detail about our proposals at www.stoke.gov.uk . There is also coverage in the Sentinel here, along with another article about the impact on cultural events in the city.