York’s Conservative-led administration has set out its council budget for the 2018 financial year, which features significant investment in adult services, housing and highways, with a council tax increase of just under 3.5%, one of the lowest in the region.
The spending is outlined in a series of budget reports which will be presented to a meeting of the Executive on 8 February, followed by a vote by all councillors at the Budget Full Council on 22nd February.
Key revenue highlights:
- £2.16 million additional funding for adult social care including covering the cost of adults as they transition from children’s services
- £800k to fund an increase in the adult social care contingency budget for winter pressures and delayed transfers of care
- £100k Education Psychology staffing to support specialist staff working with children with special educational needs and disabilities
Key capital investment highlights (totalling £54.7m over the next 5 years from external, housing revenue and council sources):
- Housing, new investment of £32.6m, with a total investment of £75.7m over 5 years
- Highways, new investment of £4.4m, with a total investment of £24.8m over 5 years
- Transport schemes, increased investment of £7.9m over 5 years including areas such as an electric bus scheme, smarter travel evolution programme and local transport plan road safety scheme
To pay for this extra investment savings of almost £5m are proposed, together with an increase in council tax consisting of an increase in the basic council tax of 1.99% and a further 1.5% tax increase which is part of the government’s precept to provide extra money for adult social care, in total in increase of 3.49%.
Cllr. David Carr, Council Leader said:
“We needed to strike the right balance between protecting services whilst minimising the impact of increases on our residents, which I think we have achieved. York is facing growing pressure from the needs of an aging population and our residents have told us that adult social care is a priority. We have listened and set our precept accordingly, keeping the basic council tax increase to just under 2%. In these uncertain financial times this is a real achievement.”
Cllr. Ian Gillies, Conservative Group Leader said:
“As Conservatives we always look to keep tax increases to a minimum, but the reality is that costs keep rising as do the needs of our residents. We have targeted savings of almost £5m within the council budget, which we are pursuing with vigour, but we do not do so without seriously considering their impact on the people of York.”