From Monday (28 October), we’ll be announcing a series of ways that you can get involved and tell us what you think the priorities should be.
There will be online surveys, an online budget simulator, face-to-face engagement events and resident focus groups.
Like many neighbouring authorities and councils across the country, we’re facing a challenging financial situation.
We have a legal duty to set a balanced budget but government funding hasn’t kept pace with increasing costs and rising demand.
Ten years ago, 25 per cent of our income was government funding, but this year it’s 12 per cent.
Last month, we announced a £23.5m gap between the income we receive and the money we had to pay for services for this financial year.
We have identified ways to bridge this gap but there is still more work to do.
And this year isn’t a one-off – current forecasts show we must make total savings of more than £53m over the next three years.
We’re calling on the government to take action and to stand up and support councils during the Autumn statement next week.
Feedback from our engagement sessions will help inform our budget.
An update will be presented at the next Executive meeting on Wednesday 4 December.
Proposed savings plans will be shared in December ahead of final budget discussions in February.