West Oxfordshire District Council is preparing its annual budget for 2017-18 and medium-term financial strategy up to 2025-26 and is consulting on its proposals.
The Council is faced by a number of significant financial pressures over the forthcoming year with reductions in government funding of in excess of £0.75m and increasing waste and recycling costs of £0.8m.
Following five years of council tax freezes, the local authority increased its charges for the first time last year to deal with the significant funding cuts. It now needs to make further difficult choices, between raising council tax and other charges, and making service cuts in the year ahead.
Cllr Toby Morris, Cabinet Member for Resources, said “We must review our spending to counteract the funding cuts. We are proposing an average council tax increase of £5 for residents. This will help protect frontline council services, allow free car parking to continue and provide ongoing grant support for valued services provided by the voluntary sector.
“We’re also intending to make further efficiency savings by sharing even more resources with our existing partners, Cotswold, Cheltenham and Forest of Dean Councils. This joint working is proving extremely beneficial, currently delivering £1.5m of savings to West Oxfordshire taxpayers, and we know this could be increased further still.
“However, it’s important that local residents have a voice and I urge them to have their say on our budget proposals. The short online consultation is quick and easy to fill in so should only take a few minutes to complete.”
For more information and to complete the consultation survey, see www.westoxon.gov.uk/budget