Council Budget Preparation
PRESS
RELEASE
18 January 2011
Melton Borough Council is currently in the
later stages of preparing its budget for the coming financial year,
the final stage of which will be the setting of the level of
Council Tax for Borough residents.
When the Government announced the level of
grant funding for all councils in December 2010 Melton Council was
informed its grant for the coming financial year would reduce by
15.8% with a further reduction of 12.5% in the following financial
year. This has put the Council under extreme financial
pressure.
Despite this elected Members have a range of
proposals that they will be considering that will enable a nil
increase in Council Tax to be set for general Borough expenses.
This has only been achieved by the work undertaken throughout the
year to identify efficiency savings that do not reduce service
levels to the public. In addition where these changes do impact on
the public the Council has undertaken a consultation exercise
asking residents which services they would be prepared to see
reduced in order to save money. The final decisions will be made by
the Council at its budget meeting on 2 February 2011.
Head of Central Services, Dawn Garton
said:
‘The Council’s financial position is extremely
challenging and to be able to present options to the Members that
result in no increase in Council Tax and enable the Council to
still be able to budget to cover all of its estimated costs is an
achievement. Whilst it is likely there will be some reductions in
service these have been informed through public involvement and
members will also still have sufficient resources to be able to
consider increases in some service areas.
Councillors will also be considering Melton
Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (a document that sets out
the Council’s likely financial position over the next three years)
and this shows that the financial challenges will continue and that
the recovery of the economy is critical along with a number of
income streams the council receives. As such efficiency and the
identification of savings will continue to be a high priority for
the Council.’
~Ends~
For more information please
contact:
Contact Name: Angela Tebbutt or Dawn
Garton
Melton Borough Council
Telephone: 01664 502502
Email: atebbutt@melton.gov.uk or dgarton@melton.gov.uk
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