LIVERPOOL Council will increase its share of council tax by 4.45%, the city’s ruling Liberal Democrat administration announced last night.

It will add £42.90 to the typical Band A household bill, which is currently £964.25, and £64.36 to Band D homes which pay £1,446.38 at the moment.

The Fire Authority and Merseyside Police Authority are yet to announce how much their precepts will increase by, but their rises will add to council tax bills.

Last night, deputy leader Cllr Flo Clucas said the council had done its best to keep its increase as low as possible in the face of increased energy bills and a “below inflation” settlement from the Government.

Labour opposition leader Joe Anderson said the increase was the result of the Lib-Dems “poor financial management over the past five years”.

Cllr Clucas said the budget would allow the council to keep “moderate” care for elderly people and school uniform grants.

An additional £2.5m will be spent on cultural events for the city, and the council will come together to offer a seven-day-a-week dog warden service.

She said a number of council posts had been deleted, including some management roles.

The council’s balances will be increased from £10m to £15m, but there will be a “review” of some services.

A report detailing the budget will be published on Monday, January 12, with the intention that the city’s finances for the coming financial year will be approved at the end of the month.

Last year, it was labelled the worst council in England by the Audit Commission because of the poor state of its finances.