Our budget over the next five years will be challenging. Costs will increase due to inflation, population change and rising demand for services. Funding from central government will also be severely reduced. This will result in a funding gap.
Councillor Ollie Sykes, Finance lead says, “Next year’s council budget needs to save £26m on top of £70m saved over the past four years. Decisions on where to spend less will be extremely challenging. It’s essential for us to hear from as many city residents as possible about what you think should change. Please get involved in the Stop, Start, Change conversation and help us make the right decisions about next year’s budget.
To set a balanced budget means that we are looking at different options, which include prioritising services to meet the demands of the city and better matching our services to needs.
We would like to know if you were setting the #BHbudget
• What you would stop doing or do less of
• What you would start doing or do more of
• What you would change or do differently
You can have your say on twitter under #BH budget Stop, start or Change follow us @BrightonHoveCC
Or by going to our website www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bhbudget where a questionnaire can be completed electronically from the beginning of October.
Asking for your views does not remove the council’s responsibility for making the final judgement on spending and the level of Council Tax, but it gives you the opportunity to tell us the choices you would make, which we will consider when setting the budget.
Ends.