by Cllr Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Conservative spokesman for Finance and Service Delivery
At almost every meeting I attend with fellow Councillors, I remind them of the huge financial challenge facing the District Council – the need to save around £2million in this and the following three years.
We’ve got a strong track record, having made £4.2million in savings over the last five years. The Audit Commission acknowledge as amongst the best in the country at saving money and delivering value for money, but the challenge remains.
Conservatives in Mid Sussex have made very different choices to other Councils. We cut the Chief Executive’s salary and Councillors’ allowances, cut senior management to half the West Sussex average, shared services with other Councils, refocused resources on the highest priority projects, removed unaffordable staff benefits and reformed how we deliver services to the public.
We will continue to make those choices – in our budget for next year 85% of our savings come from further streamlining management, restructuring services and increased efficiency.
At the same time as spending has fallen, performance has increased, with our data showing the highest quality service provision in years. We hear often in the national debate that less money means worse services and that spending more is the only guarantor of quality. We have shown in Mid Sussex that that is categorically not true.
By innovating, increasing efficiency, introducing new ways of working and redesigning and modernising services, we’ve shown that it is perfectly possible to do more for less. It’s unglamorous and doesn’t always make for the most interesting headlines in local newspapers, but it does make a real difference to the services residents use and the Council Tax they pay.
But as vital as saving money is, our budget goes further, freezing Council Tax for a second year and bringing to an end the tax hikes of the past – like the 13.5% rise in one year under the last Liberal Democrat administration.
For many pensioners and families on low and middle incomes, Council Tax represents a substantial monthly expenditure. Increasing Council Tax would place an additional pressure on household budgets at a time when wages are largely not rising. Because of the savings we’ve made, we’ve been able to keep more money in taxpayers’ pockets at a time it’s needed the most.
Despite the squeeze on spending, the Council will continue to do its job for the community in the next year
Unlike some Councils, the Conservative budget protects grants to the voluntary and community groups that do such great work in our towns and villages and continues investment in recycling, clean streets, leisure facilities and providing support to those who fall on hard times.
Facing up to tough decisions. Saving money. Making the Council more self-sufficient. Freezing Council Tax. And continuing to invest in the things that matter most to residents. That’s what the Conservatives are delivering in Mid Sussex