No rise proposed for council tax rates

Salford residents will not be asked to pay more for their council services this year if a zero per cent rise in council tax is approved by councillors.The no-rise rate for the council's element of the bill will not impact on frontline services paid for by the authority's £220 million budget, say finance chiefs.In 2008, the council announced a major efficiency drive aimed at saving £20 million in three years. This is on course to save more than £30 million, with £16 million annual savings after that.Savings were identified by removing duplication, using better economies of scale and making more use of technology.As well as lower costs in its daily delivery of service, better efficiency enables the council to operate with fewer people. Voluntary redundancies, early retirements and natural turnover have already meant the council is more than halfway to its reduction target of 380 posts.In December, the Audit Commission said the city council was "performing well" and was a good manager of taxpayers' money.The commission scored the council three out of four for performance and financial management, one step short of an overall "excellent" rating.Councillor Bill Hinds, who is responsible for the council's finances, said: "The council is much more efficient today than it was even two years ago and this is why we are able to pass on the savings to residents. On top of our efficiency drive we have improved our council tax collection rate which gives our residents much better value for their money."Despite the challenge of a global recession we have avoided dipping in to our reserves as much as we feared and will balance the books again this financial year with more than £9 million in hand.""I can reassure residents that frontline services or the overall quality of services will not be affected by the savings we are making."Leader of the council, Cllr John Merry added: "Residents will have faced a tough few months with the recession and I have always said the council would do what it could to offer real assistance."Not asking for more council tax than we have to has always been our starting point when we draw up our budget proposals. This year we are in a position where we can share with residents the savings we've made and I'm sure every little helps."Over the past 11 years Salford has seen the 18th lowest cumulative council tax rise nationally. The city has one of the lowest average council tax bills in the country, 280th out of 326 authorities in England.Final council tax bills will include precepts set by the police and fire authorities.