Still time to have your say on county council spending
Thursday, 13th October 2011.
Residents, businesses and community groups in west Suffolk are being urged make their voices heard in the county council’s budget consultation.
The consultation, which was launched on September 12 and is seeking public opinions on how Suffolk County Council should spend public money, has seen fewer responses from western areas of the county than other parts.
There are just under two weeks to go until the end of the first phase of the consultation.
Cllr Colin Noble said: "I don't want people to underestimate how important it is to make their views known during this consultation.
"The services Suffolk County Council provides, and the £50m savings it has to make in the next two years, will affect all of us in one way or another.
"This is about genuine debate about the future of council services in Suffolk. It's important that we in the west play our part in making those tough decisions."
Suffolk County Council’s budget-setting process will help the authority decide how best to spend the £1 billion budget it is responsible for.
Adult social care, child protection, fire and rescue and roads maintenance are among the many key public services provided by Suffolk County Council, all of which require public funding to deliver them.
Members of the public, local businesses, the voluntary sector and district and borough councils in Suffolk are being asked what services they value most - in order to help Suffolk County Council decide where to make necessary savings.
Because of a 28 per cent reduction in the amount of money it receives from central government, increased inflation and demand for services, Suffolk County Council has to save £50m in the next two years. This is on top of £43m saved by the council in the current financial year.
Launching the consultation in September, council leader Cllr Mark Bee said: "The financial challenges we are facing in Suffolk are significant, but I'm determined that we must find a way to meet them while protecting the services we all value.
"But before we make any decisions about how we spend public money and where we make savings next year, I want to hear from our partners and the people of Suffolk. It's important that we learn what services they most value and to hear what their priorities are. This will help guide the spending choices we make.
"I can't pretend that difficult decisions won't have to be made. But I want to ensure that the choices we make reflect not just my views, or those of other councillors, but the values of the people we are here to serve."
The consultation is in two phases:
• Phase one runs until October 23 and focuses on broader questions about people's priorities. It asks what services people think the council should make savings on, what services people would consider paying for and how they think efficiencies can be made.
• Phase two will run from November 1 to December 12 and will give people the opportunity to express views on specific budget-saving ideas drawn up following phase one. Throughout this phase a number of events will be held around the county.
During the process, the county council's scrutiny committee, which is open to the public, will have a number of opportunities to consider what is being debated and provide political challenge to the council. The final budget will be agreed by full council on February 9, 2012.
The consultation, which was launched on September 12 and is seeking public opinions on how Suffolk County Council should spend public money, has seen fewer responses from western areas of the county than other parts.
There are just under two weeks to go until the end of the first phase of the consultation.
Cllr Colin Noble said: "I don't want people to underestimate how important it is to make their views known during this consultation.
"The services Suffolk County Council provides, and the £50m savings it has to make in the next two years, will affect all of us in one way or another.
"This is about genuine debate about the future of council services in Suffolk. It's important that we in the west play our part in making those tough decisions."
Suffolk County Council’s budget-setting process will help the authority decide how best to spend the £1 billion budget it is responsible for.
Adult social care, child protection, fire and rescue and roads maintenance are among the many key public services provided by Suffolk County Council, all of which require public funding to deliver them.
Members of the public, local businesses, the voluntary sector and district and borough councils in Suffolk are being asked what services they value most - in order to help Suffolk County Council decide where to make necessary savings.
Because of a 28 per cent reduction in the amount of money it receives from central government, increased inflation and demand for services, Suffolk County Council has to save £50m in the next two years. This is on top of £43m saved by the council in the current financial year.
Launching the consultation in September, council leader Cllr Mark Bee said: "The financial challenges we are facing in Suffolk are significant, but I'm determined that we must find a way to meet them while protecting the services we all value.
"But before we make any decisions about how we spend public money and where we make savings next year, I want to hear from our partners and the people of Suffolk. It's important that we learn what services they most value and to hear what their priorities are. This will help guide the spending choices we make.
"I can't pretend that difficult decisions won't have to be made. But I want to ensure that the choices we make reflect not just my views, or those of other councillors, but the values of the people we are here to serve."
The consultation is in two phases:
• Phase one runs until October 23 and focuses on broader questions about people's priorities. It asks what services people think the council should make savings on, what services people would consider paying for and how they think efficiencies can be made.
• Phase two will run from November 1 to December 12 and will give people the opportunity to express views on specific budget-saving ideas drawn up following phase one. Throughout this phase a number of events will be held around the county.
During the process, the county council's scrutiny committee, which is open to the public, will have a number of opportunities to consider what is being debated and provide political challenge to the council. The final budget will be agreed by full council on February 9, 2012.
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