Birmingham City Council has finally revealed the true extent of its budget cuts, but there is little silver lining. This will be the most harmful budget ever set.
The full Budget, released at midnight, reveals:
*The council has asked the government for £1.25 billion in “exceptional financial support”.Without it, we won’t be able to make ends meet.
*How we argued for a 9.99% increase in council tax this year and 9.99% next year – but it could have been worse
* Day centres, leisure facilities, youth services, early support centers and community centers will all be affected by cuts and ‘reviews’
* Road, park, and street maintenance will all be negatively affected.
* Hundreds of job losses looming
Today we’re bringing you some insight and analysis on budgets, which total nearly 300 pages. We’ll also bring you all the reactions from politicians, parents, workers and campaigners as they absorbed the news they’ve been dreading.
If you would like to join the conversation, please leave a comment below or email [email protected].
08:19major events
Where to read the full budget
Feel free to pick up the budget document, read it, understand it, and share your thoughts. Maybe I’ll realize what I’m missing, or realize the impact that’s been escaping me. We would love to hear your thoughts.
View the documentation online here.
08:16major events
Much of the pain locked away in Congressional budget documents released online
Birmingham City Council announced its budget at an inauthentic hour last night. But thanks to my commitment to bringing you news fast and fresh, I’ve already pored over hundreds of pages that have been published and can confirm that it’s a harrowing read. It’s even tougher than the preview given by leadership yesterday evening led us to believe.
You can read the evening’s coverage of our briefing here, outlining the key impacts here – Broke Birmingham City Council announces job cuts – weekly bins, day centers and youth services all hit I am receiving
That’s because many of the planned cuts will be implemented in the second year, with devastating effects. There will also be multiple ‘reviews’ which will put off headlines about closures for some time, which is sadly inevitable given the scale of the savings needed.
Today, I’m going to bring you the worst news, highlights, and reactions, and try to find some silver linings where I can.
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