Have your say on new year budget

Residents are invited to have their say on the draft budget which will be formally discussed by the council’s Executive on January 8.

Budget proposals include freezing the council’s share of council tax for the third year, renegotiating contracts and sharing resources.

Councillor Maurice Jones said: “We’ve constructed a robust budget that reflects the feedback residents gave us in our budget survey this time last year. We got strong feedback that any savings should come from the back office to protect frontline services.

“We have been waiting for confirmation of our funding for next year from the Government; we still have not received this. However, this has not stopped us carefully scrutinising every area of spend to look at where savings can be made. So far we have identified around £14m of possible efficiency savings for next year. We remain determined to drive out every penny of unnecessary cost. We have a proven track record of delivering savings, having reduced our operating costs by £40m since the council came into existence around four years ago.”

There are many factors the council has to consider when making savings, including inflation and an ageing and growing population.

In 2012-16, the population is expected to grow by five per cent, and there will be a 16 per cent increase in the over 75s, and a 24 per cent increase in over 85s.

There is also an increased demand for looking after children, mainly in light of the Baby P case, which will need funding.

Schools moving to Academy status and out of local authority control, and the transfer of public health from government to local authority control will also have an impact.

The draft budget outlines how the council plans to allocate £176m on a wide range of services next year in Central Beds such as refuse collection, maintaining the roads, libraries and providing social care for the disabled children, adults and for older people. Another prioirty is equalising council tax rates so residents in the south of the area pay the same slightly lower rate as those in the north.

The council’s spending plans are now open for public consultation until January 31, 2013 and can be viewed online at http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/have-your-say/current-online-consultations.aspxCouncillors will then use feedback to review the draft budget, before the final budget is announced in February 2013.