Have your say on budget proposals
Posted on Wednesday 12th December 2018
Newport City Council’s cabinet has considered the budget for 2019-20 and how services could be delivered within the limited resources available.
A public consultation on a series of proposals for changes to services and support provided by Newport City Council will now run between 13 December 2018 and 30 January 2019.
The council provides more than 800 services for more than 151,000 people living in more than 65,000 households.
Councillor Debbie Wilcox, Leader of the council, said: “The funding we receive has stayed more or less the same and that means the gap between the money we get and what we have to spend keeps getting bigger.
“Many services are being stretched almost to breaking point but we have fewer staff and resources to meet ever-increasing needs.
“We have an aging population and more and more people will need care either in their own homes or in residential/nursing homes.
“We are a growing city which is vital for creating jobs and the local economy but it means more children and more school places.
“We have more and more children with complex needs transitioning into adulthood and need continuing support and care, probably for the rest of their lives.
“Council tax contributes less than a quarter towards the total budget and, however much we might not want to do it, we have to consider raising it substantially. Newport currently has the second lowest council tax in Wales and even with a suggested rise of 6.95 per cent, which equates to an extra £1.40 a week for a Band D property, we still expected to hold such a position.
“While cuts have been made across the public sector there is no doubt that local government has taken the brunt. We have already made significant savings and efficiencies – £45 million over the last five years, but the demands show absolutely no sign of diminishing in the future. Even more ‘new’ savings must still be found – at least £33m by 2023.
“The real challenge however is that we want to do more than just provide the basic services that we have to provide by law – we want to ensure Newport is an attractive place to live, thereby attracting employers and creating jobs. That is why we must also make sure we invest in a strategic way.”
Proposals for 2019-20 are available to view at www.newport.gov.uk/budget where you can also find out more about where the council’s funding comes from and the general budget challenge.
The public consultation will run until the 30 January 2019 and all responses will then be considered by cabinet at their February meeting.
As the council is committed to being open and transparent, all cabinet member and head of service decisions are available to view, although are not subject to the full consultation.