Nantwich residents will soon learn of any potential Council Tax rises as Cheshire East councillors look set to approve a timescale for unveiling its next budget, writes Ethan Davies.
Members will discuss the latest update of the borough’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) at this week’s cabinet meeting.
If approved, it paves the way for a new budget to be put to full council on February 17 2021 — and will also reveal any possible hikes in council tax.
A draft version of the budget could be published next month for it to go out to public consultation in time for February’s council meeting.
It comes amid fears raised by Cabinet members of a £26 million shortfall caused by the Covid pandemic.
The MTFS said: “This report sets out the activities to date and current estimated timescales.
“Work is ongoing to develop budget proposals, which will be subject to scrutiny and consultation before a final MTFS can be produced.
“This process of development and review will enable the robustness and feasibility of the proposals to be tested.
“The Council must set a balanced budget for each financial year based on robust estimates and supported by adequate reserves.
“This requirement is significantly supported by meaningful consultation as this improves the assurance that proposals will be delivered within manageable levels of risk.”
The MTFS itself could also be approved on the same day, and sets out CEC’s spending vision from 2021 until 2025.
Last month, CEC deputy leader Cllr Craig Browne said the authority was facing “a shortfall of around £26m without additional government funding”.
He added: “Councils across the country are all facing the same significant challenges – Cheshire East is far from unique.
“We need the government to fully deliver on its promises.”
Councillors will discuss the proposals at cabinet today (November 10) at 1pm.
An unfortunate consequence of the pandemic is that unemployment will rise in the area. Maybe this is an opportunity for Cheshire East to recruit some ex-private sector professionals to start adding some value back into council tax receipts. For far too long have public sector servants sat on their hands watching their spend outweigh their budget. This simply does not happen in the private sector as companies would just go out of business. I suspect that if Cheshire East started to do their jobs properly then then could deliver savings and have a surplus – this is common place within the private sector.
So whilst the local community all worry about the future of their friends and family from both a health and job security perspective Cheshire East’s response to this is ‘We don’t have to worry about losing our jobs so we will carry on not delivering value and overspending’.
I’d be embarrassed to propose a council tax rise if I was in post.