Good Housekeeping! Council Comes in Within Budget

I chaired a meeting of the Council's Executive at Borough Hall on Wednesday night where, amongst a range of matters including the Council's use of surveillance powers, the Borough's Community Safety Strategy and the outcome of petitions over the past year, we considered a report which confirmed that the Council came in at 1.6% within its agreed budget for 2010/11. This is obviously very important news, as putting together a balanced budget is only half the job; staying within that budget is vital. Any overspend can be extremely costly for local taxpayers, and that is why it is essential that sound financial management is in place to control spending. We took effective, swift action to deal with the inevitable pressures and unforeseen challenges that came our way. This week's news is a testament to the work that went in all year round to keep Council spending on track from everyone involved, from Finance Portfolio holder Cllr Michael Headley and Cabinet colleagues to staff across the organisation for their work. It is essential that we retain this total commitment to looking after taxpayers' money within our budgets as we face the considerable challenge of saving a massive £36 million from Council spending over the next four years.

We will soon be asking residents for their views on the Council's budget in the coming years. We want to continue a genuine, open dialogue with residents about their priorities and ideas for how the Council can spend, and save, most effectively over this period.