'No Stone Left Unturned' as Proposed Council Budget Protects Frontline Services and Keeps Council Tax Down

'No stone has been left unturned' in the drive to find savings and keep council tax bills down, declared Dave Hodgson today, as a proposed Bedford Borough Council budget which boosts opportunities for the young, protects the local environment and supports the local economy was published. Against a backdrop of the severe economic crisis and a toxic financial legacy inherited from the former County Council, savings of £9 million have been identified to enable front line services to be protected and a council tax increase of just 2.3 per cent to be proposed. This is down from a forecast 11.5 per cent rise before the election of Mayor Dave Hodgson.

Commenting, Mayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson said: "Since I was elected in October with the forecast council tax increase standing at 11.5 per cent, my clear priority has been to work with Finance Portfolio Holder Michael Headley and the rest of my Cabinet to produce a budget which ensures full value for every penny of local taxpayers' money while protecting front line services. I can reassure residents that no stone has been left unturned in our drive to identify efficiency savings in order that residents' priorities are protected. In spite of difficult decisions made unavoidable by the economic conditions and the well-known toxic financial legacy inherited from the former County Council, the proposed budget reflects our commitments to boosting opportunities for young people, supporting the local economy and fostering a cleaner, greener Borough.'

"For example, the budget will provide for additional school places, investment in the town centre and more support for residents to recycle. At the same time the proposed Council tax has been slashed from that predicted 11.5% figure down to just over two per cent, thanks to a relentless drive to identify savings and extract full value for local residents from every penny of their council tax."

Finance Portfolio Holder Cllr Michael Headley has revealed that the results of the thorough approach to keeping costs down would have resulted in no requirement for a Council tax rise at all, were it not for large items of unfunded expenditure inherited from the former County Council. Commenting on the budget proposals, he said: "Over the past weeks and months I have worked with colleagues in poring over the budget, challenging all parts of the Council to make sure there is a real need for every item of expenditure. This task, which has been carried out against the backdrop of the severe economic crisis and the County Council's toxic legacy, has resulted in savings of over £9 million, found from all parts of the council. In particular, we will be making savings on renting offices and we are making back office functions more efficient in order to protect front line services for residents. Ultimately, our drive for efficiencies would have resulted in no requirement for an increase in council tax whatsoever had it not been for the fact that our inheritance from the County Council included huge areas of expenditure for which there was simply no budget.'

"We will continue to pursue our rigorous approach to efficiency savings on the Council in order that we can provide for the opportunities for the young, protection of our environment and support for the local economy which are such key features of this proposed budget."

The budget proposals will be considered at the meeting of Bedford Borough Council's Executive on Wednesday 20th January.