The budget being voted on would also see the majority of the city’s libraries close their doors in a move which has prompted rival Conservative councillors to launch an amendment to today’s budget vote which would see back office cuts and procurement reform instead.
Ewan Mackey, deputy leader of the opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, told the Express: “For all the Labour Councillors crying crocodile tears claiming they don’t really want to close our much valued local libraries, they can save every one of them simply by voting for our amendment at the Council meeting.
“In reality, anyone who votes for the Labour budget is voting to close their local library.”
Birmingham Tories accused Labour of “attacking” community assets in an attempt to avoid reforming the council “as is needed”.
Previously foodbanks in the city had warned the tax increases would push more people into poverty.
Sophie Swaine at Sparkhill Food Bank told the Express: “We’re seeing so many people coming to us for the first time, costs are just becoming too much.”
A petition against the council tax rise has amassed more than 10,000 signatures, with one signee responding “please stop making it hard for people to live”.
Arts cuts prompted fury from Lee Barron, the Midlands Trade Union Congress (TUC) regional secretary, who said Birmingham was “supposed to be the second city” urging “let’s act like it”.
Labour council leader, John Cotton, said during a cabinet meeting last week that he would “prefer not to be in this position but we are having to cut our cloth accordingly”.
He said he was “deeply sorry” and insisted that work was under way to resolve Birmingham-specific issues the council is facing, including the historic equal pay liability and the implementation of the Oracle IT system.
Mr Cotton has also previously argued that the consequences of austerity, as well as the hollowing out of local government, had played a role in the council’s downfall.
It comes after Nottingham City Council approved hundreds of job losses and cuts to social and youth services as part of attempts to balance its books on Monday.
The Express has contacted Birmingham City Council for comment.
