Rutland County Council sets draft budget of £81 million
But the Council leader is calling for more cash from the government
Rutland County Council has set a draft budget of 81 million pounds for the upcoming financial year - but is still calling for more cash from the government.
The authority will require £49 million to fund things like road maintenance and bus travel - and will receive a further £32 million from Number 10, which must be spent on specific things like schools grants and housing benefits.
Council leader, Coun Gale Waller (Lib Dem) said: “The financial pressure on local councils has never been greater. We have more responsibilities than ever before, while growing numbers of people need our help – particularly when it comes to social care."
“When you factor in the rising cost of delivering services, caused by soaring energy costs, staffing costs and inflation, it’s not hard to see why councils like Birmingham and Nottingham have recently issued Section 114 notices, effectively declaring bankruptcy.
“Councils nation-wide are facing a funding crisis. Under the current national funding formula, we continue to receive less government funding per household than other councils. Because of this, Rutland now relies on Council Tax contributions for 77% of its core funding. Nationally, other authorities rely on Council Tax for around 56% of their core funding.
“We have written to the government with other local authorities to call for a better approach – one that’s fairer on the council and Rutland residents. In the meantime, we’re working as hard as we can to deliver services on budget and reduce our costs.”
Rutland County Council has launched a public consultation which explains its latest draft budget, and asks residents to share their views.
The consultation runs until 5.00pm on Friday 2nd Feb, and can be accessed here.