Coventry council set to consult on "tough" budget choices
Consultation could start next month on a set of possible budget cuts.
Coventry City Council has released a set of pre-budget proposals to deal with its financial crisis - which is said to be brought on by years of under-funding.
Savings are needed to ensure the Council can meet its legal duty of setting a balanced budget, while continuing to deliver key services to residents and businesses in the city.
The Council has started its process of setting the budget for 2024/25 but faces a £12m funding shortfall this financial year, which is set to rise to around £30m next year.
Cllr Richard Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "Coventry, like so many other local authorities across the country, is facing very difficult times brought on by years of severe and successive under-funding by the government that is now being exacerbated by unprecedented rising demand and inflationary pressures.
"We deliver more than 600 services and in order to balance the books, we need to make some very difficult choices, particularly if we want to protect vital services like support for our elderly and young people.
"We want to hear the views of residents, but we have to warn people that the consultation will outline some very difficult proposals we are being forced to consider.
"Since 2010, more than £100m each year has been taken from the Council meaning the city receives one of the lowest funding per head of the population in the country and one of the lowest in the West Midlands."
Budget saving proposals include measures like charging for collection of garden waste and increasing car parking prices.
Changes to the Godiva Festival so it covers its costs, and switching off some streetlights overnight were also suggested.
Cllr Brown added: "These are tough proposals to make but to take no action would be irresponsible as we must protect frontline services such as social care and homelessness to protect the most vulnerable as much as we can.
"We have repeatedly called for more help and support – not just to us but for a new way of funding local government as the financial distress of councils in England has its roots in a funding system that is broken."
A report is set to go to Cabinet on 12 December for permission to start consultation on a range of proposals the following day.
That consultation will run until 7th February 2024 before elected members agree the final Budget at the end of that month.
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