What Southend's new budget means for locals

Southend City Council is making some tough choices as it proposes a budget for 2024/25 to tackle financial challenges.

Here's a simple breakdown of what these decisions mean for locals:

• Council Tax Increase: There's a plan to increase council tax by 4.99%. For a Band C home, this could mean a weekly rise of £1.39. This money will help protect important services and meet unavoidable costs.
• Savings and Income Proposals: The council aims to save over £14.3 million by making changes, like rescheduling debt payments, restructuring teams, and removing some vacant positions.
• Possible Job Losses: Up to 80 full-time jobs might be deleted due to restructuring, but the council is trying to avoid compulsory redundancies and is looking at voluntary options.
• Impact on Services: Some changes in plans - library services won't be reviewed, the NetPark project will still be funded, and hourly parking charges won't increase in 2024/25.
• Financial Challenges Ahead: The council recognizes the need to continue making savings and transforming how it works due to an estimated budget gap of £35.1 million from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
• Positive Notes: A reduction in the predicted overspend by £4.5 million at the end of November 2023 shows efforts to manage finances.

The draft budget will undergo scrutiny by the council's cabinet on Thursday, January 11, and the Policy and Resources scrutiny committee on Thursday, February 1. Any changes to the draft budget will then be considered by the cabinet on Tuesday, February 13, with the final budget discussion and approval scheduled for Thursday, February 22. The council is faced with challenging decisions as it navigates financial uncertainties and strives to maintain essential services for the benefit of the local community.

Cllr Tony Cox, leader of the council, commented, “This is a very tough budget setting, with difficult decisions to be made. There are no easy choices. The fact is we must bring in more money and raise charges, whilst reducing our spending in non-statutory areas so that we can continue to protect and look after the children and adults that need our help. This is where most of your council tax is spent."