West Sussex County Council is expected to approve its proposed budget for the year ahead at a Cabinet meeting next week.
Plans to close a previously reported £16.3M funding gap were set out yesterday.
The draft budget will now go to a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday 3 February before going to Full Council on Friday 20 February. Both meetings will be held in public at County Hall, Chichester, and can be viewed online via a webcast.
Leader of West Sussex County Council, Councillor Paul Marshall, said: “The county council is continuing to face a significant financial challenge, with rising demands, escalating costs, and increasingly complicated needs - particularly in social care and special educational needs and disabilities.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to balance the budget, and we know these challenges will continue in the years ahead.
“We’ve managed our finances sensibly and have thankfully been able to successfully balance the budget for the coming year. This is despite the added pressure of the government reducing our funding by £30m over the next 3 years and redistributing elsewhere in the country as part of its fairer funding settlement.
“It’s therefore more essential than ever that our limited resources are carefully aligned with the priorities in Our Council Plan to ensure we provide effective services which offer maximum value for our residents.”
Councillor Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property, said: “As the pressures facing the county council outweigh the funding we receive, balancing the budget has been extremely challenging and has only been possible by introducing the government’s presumed 4.99% increase in council tax alongside budget reductions of £30.4m.
“Not increasing council tax by the full 4.99% would mean we would lose out on funding the government assumes is available to deal with pressures.
“Our proposed budget includes an additional £16.9m for service pressures and £26.8m for pay and price inflation as well as a proposed £142.3m of capital expenditure.”
The proposed 4.99% council tax increase is made up of 2% for Adults’ Social Care and 2.99% for other services.
Get the latest BREAKING NEWS for the SOUTH on your phone by downloading the V2 RADIO APP today!
V2VOUCHERS.CO.UK is offering half-price deals on a wide range of experiences across the South, from meals out at local restaurants to tickets for some of the region’s biggest events.
Attempts ongoing to identify owner after dog is found on the Roedean undercliff
Water bills set to rise across the South
Tinchy Strider and Toploader confirmed to play at the Back Then Festival in Chichester
New Aldi store coming to Hastings
Waste Prevention Fund diverts 60 tonnes of material from going to waste
Drivers in Hampshire warned to plan ahead with M3 to close this weekend
Appeal for witnesses following shoplifting in Gosport
Queensway refurbishment in Crawley approved
Horsham man convicted of sexually abusing girl from the age of five
Man dies on A27 at Falmer in early morning crash
On Air