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# County council’s finance chief says tough financial challenges are on the horizon
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/county-councils-finance-chief-says-tough-financial-challenges-are-on-the-horizon/
- Published: 2022-12-16T08:05:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-12-15T09:35:03.000Z
- Description: Councillors have been told tough financial choices are on the horizon.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:07, News

Councillors have been told tough financial choices are on the horizon.

The warning came from Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance and resources at a meeting this week.

He said that while the authority was successfully balancing its books, challenges such as rising inflation adding £25million to expected costs in the 2023/24 period would mean difficult decisions lay ahead.

Cllr Parry added that long-term solutions were needed to tackle issues such as the rising cost of adult social care.

> “We are a well-run, stable authority that continues to invest in the future while supporting those who need help now.  
>  
> “So we will balance our books for the coming year, partly helped by the Government postponing the adult social care reforms for two years, but there is a feeling that serious challenges are just around the corner unless something changes.  
>  
> “We are still waiting for a fairer way to allocate grant funding to councils and we cannot leave local taxpayers to bear the funding of adult social care – we still need a sustainable long-term solution at a national level.”  
>  
> Cllr Ian Parry, Staffordshire County Council

The county council said that combined cost of adult social care and protecting vulnerable young people meant that for every £10 the authority spends, £3.50 remains for highways, libraries, country parks, recycling centres and other services.

> “We have taken many steps to deliver support differently, often seeking to reduce the need for costly complex services with early intervention where it is safe and practical to do so.  
>  
> “And we continue to invest in supporting businesses big and small to provide jobs in Staffordshire, but the fact remains that with an ageing population and the demands upon us we will have to think hard about what we do for 2024/25 and beyond.”  
>  
> Cllr Ian Parry, Staffordshire County Council

Final decisions, including the proposed council tax, will be taken in the New Year once a final settlement from Government has been provided.

That settlement is expected to confirm that local authorities can raise their council tax to 4.99% without a referendum.