Huge savings agreed by Staffordshire County Council chiefs
More than £60 million of savings have been backed by council leaders.
Staffordshire County Council's cabinet agreed to budget plans which will se a record £320m spent on care and council tax go up by 3.99 per cent. It will go to full council for final approval on February 13.
The cash-strapped authority needs to save £62m by 2024 and will now spend 65 per cent of its budget on care.
Council leader Philip Atkins said smart planning had allowed the authority to "live within its means".
He said: “Sixty-five per cent of our budget is now spent on caring for the frail elderly and vulnerable children and as a result this puts pressure on other areas.
“Despite this, we have acted swiftly to manage these pressures and continued to bring wider benefits to Staffordshire families by growing the economy, creating better jobs and helping more people lead healthier, independent and rewarding lives.
“Our call now is for the new Government to back the ambitions of well-run councils like Staffordshire by securing a long-term national solution to how we fund care, support children with special educational needs and disabilities and protect our local roads from further decline.”
