Devon County Council leader John Hart is warning the authority faces more tough budget decisions following the latest Government funding settlement.
Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins announced yesterday that councils in England are to face an overall cut of 1.8 per cent in their total "spending power" from April next year.
But the "spending power" measure favoured by the Government – which bundles together all Whitehall grants, and makes assumptions over council tax, business rates and other revenues authorities can raise – masks the full extent of the cut to the central government grant each authority receives.
Devon County Council's money available will apparently rise by £2.7 million to £575 million - an increase of 0.5 per cent.
But the Conservative-controlled authority says in reality it will have to find cuts of £50 million next year and £34 million the year after. It has already found savings of £128 million since 2009.
"We're finding it harder and harder to balance our budget and still meet our core duties such as protecting children and supporting the elderly and vulnerable," said council leader John Hart. "The announcement will make that job even more difficult."
Plymouth City Council's "spending power" will shrink by £7.6 million to £224 million, or a 3.3% cut. Torbay Council will be down by 3%, or £4.1 million to £132 million.
Cuts will also be felt by smaller district councils in Devon – Exeter (-3.1 per cent), Mid Devon (-2.6), North Devon (-5.1%) and South Hams (-2.1%).
East Devon will receive a 2.7 per cent increase and there is no change in Teignbridge.
Mr Hopkins described the settlement as "fair for all parts of the country, whether North or South, urban or rural".
For the fifth year running the Government is offering additional funding of around £275 million – equal to a one per cent rise in council tax – to help local authorities freeze the levy.
Mr Hopkins said the total help over the course of the Parliament amounted to £5 billion – the equivalent of a £1,075 saving for an average household.
