Cotswold District Council is urging residents to give their views on the council’s spending plans as the cost of living crisis threatens to derail the budget for the next financial year.
With the current cost of living crisis increasing spending pressures on residents and councils, the district council is seeking residents’ opinions on how they should spend money. It comes amid threats of cuts to local government funding, with international tensions and national economic turmoil driving up operating costs for services vital to the district’s day-to-day running.
The council’s Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councilor Mike Evemy addressed the issues with a statement outlining the council’s priorities, their desire to ensure services are still delivered, as well as calling to the residents to play their part in the decision making. He said:
“As your local District Council, we are committed to safeguarding the Cotswolds in everything we do. An important part of this is managing our budgets wisely, so we can continue to deliver the services you expect.
“This year has seen a significant increase in costs for both residents and businesses as a result of [international events] and the national economic turmoil we face. We appreciate its impact [on residents]. It also has a significant impact on the Council’s finances. We have seen large increases in costs for fuel to collect trash, energy to run buildings and other pressures related to inflation.
“The impact of increased costs on the council means we have to work harder to deliver our services efficiently. We will also ask the government to provide the funding that councils need to support their local communities – especially important for Cotswold District Council following a decade of cuts to the council’s core government funding.
“We are an ambitious council that wants to invest in our district, but expect that these difficult times will mean that we have to slow down the delivery of our ambitions to ensure that we manage the council’s finances carefully. This could mean smartly borrowing money to invest in improvements and using some of our limited reserves to get us through the next couple of years.
“We are confident that if we come together as a community, as we did during the pandemic, we will weather this financial storm. We want to ensure that we get through the next two years in a strong position so that we can continue work on our priorities of responding to the climate emergency, strengthening our local economy and providing homes for rent that people can afford. people.
“I would encourage everyone to complete our short survey once it goes live on 8th November, or join us at one of our upcoming engagement events so you can have your say on how we run your local council. “
Engagement events will be held by the council at area supermarkets, as they look at how the public feels about how their money should be spent and how their services are delivered.