The council has agreed to freeze council tax for the next financial year.
The news comes as the Conservative-led council’s budget for next year was ratified at a full meeting of the council on Thursday (February 26).
Leader Coun Michael Jones told members, who met at Sandbach Town Hall, that his council also intended to freeze council tax for the 2016/17 financial year too.
Cheshire East says that a balanced budget, low unemployment and increased levels of investment in major capital projects across Cheshire East confirm that the council is working to deliver excellent services and great value for money for local taxpayers.
Cheshire East Council Leader Councillor Michael Jones said: “This is the best budget in the north-west and one of the strongest in the UK.
“Cheshire East Council is demonstrating once again how local authorities can cut costs via innovative ways of working and a listening approach that puts residents first.
“We care about the pounds, the pennies and the people. And I am delighted and proud that there will be no council tax increase for our residents for a fifth consecutive year.
“However, we want to go further and continue that freeze up to 2017 – attracting people, jobs and business into Cheshire East and bolstering its position as the ‘best place to live’ in the north-west, with a strong and resilient economy.”
Yet Labour Councillor Sam Corcoran said the budget was long on words and short on numbers.
He said: “Looking to the future, there is a £13m black hole in the Council finances for 2016/17 and an additional £10.2m for 2017/18. That is a total of £23.2m – nearly 10 percent of our total budget.
“Would Labour increase the rates in 2015/16? I can give a pledge today that if Labour controls the Council on May 8, we will not increase the rates for 2015/16.”
