Ctaxbook-babergh PDF - Babergh District Council

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Suffolk County Council Introduction by Mark Bee Leader of Suffolk County Council I look forward to the coming year with optimism and hope. As a county and an authority we face some significant challenges but we also have many opportunities. With a solid foundation to build from we can make a real difference for the people of Suffolk. I have lived in Suffolk all my life and I am passionate about the county and the people who live and work here. I am determined that 2012 is a strong year for us all. To help deliver on this we have set a county council budget that includes a zero percent increase in council tax, makes the required savings whilst protecting front line services - that is my number one priority. Our financial challenges provide us with a real opportunity to look at the way we work. We must examine how we deliver services and ensure that it is done in the most efficient and effective way for the people of Suffolk. We have to make sure that every penny spent is benefiting the tax payers of Suffolk. It is also important that we look at ourselves. I have challenged officers to maximise savings from management costs, bureaucracy, and efficiencies. This is an area in which I will be pushing hard throughout 2012 and beyond. At the end of 2012/13 I want to see a strong, practical budget being delivered, to help provide financial stability for the county. I also want to see improvements in economic prosperity, employment and the transport network, Suffolk leading the way as the greenest county and tourism levels continuing to increase. 2012 is also Olympic year and we are working hard to maximise the benefits for the county. We have a strong management team led by an excellent chief executive and a political administration that is together and committed to delivering the very best for Suffolk. We have excellent staff that work hard every day and with strong support from our stakeholders, together, we can make a difference. Towards the end of last year we carried out a major exercise listening to communities across Suffolk. We will continue to listen throughout 2012 and beyond to ensure we fully understand the priorities of Suffolk people. Most of all it is my hope and intention that we as a county council do everything possible to make Suffolk a better place and help create the opportunities people need to improve their lives and the lives of their families. 8
Our spending plans 2012/2013 Our grant from government has reduced by £15.6m. This has meant savings of £26.2m have been identified to compensate for this loss of grant and to provide extra money for some unavoidable cost pressures. The savings include: ■ Improving efficiency and removing processes (including a 1.5% efficiency saving across all departments) - £12m ■ Savings in adult care from more investment in prevention - £8m ■ Delivering savings agreed in previous years - £1.8m ■ Reducing management costs across the organisation - £1.5m ■ Reducing office space used - £0.7m. In addition, a one-off fund of £7.3m has been set up to facilitate economic growth. This will be funded from the one-off council tax freeze grant. We also plan to spend £114.8m on capital projects. This includes £60m to improve our schools which will help to deliver our priority to transform learning and skills in Suffolk. It also includes £43m to maintain and improve the county’s transport and waste disposal infrastructure. We are also funding projects to improve broadband coverage across Suffolk and initiatives to help us be the greenest county. Where the money comes from 2012-13 (£1,038m) Contribution to Reserves -£1m Council Tax £290m Government Grant £117m Fees and Charges £93m Formula Grant £177m Dedicated Schools Grant £362m Where we spend money Total Spending this year £1,038m Total Spending last year £1,104m The main reductions in our spending are: ■ Spending transferred to Academies which are no longer part of the county council £78.5m ■ Savings £26.2m ■ Reduced funding from reserves £4m The main increases in our spending are: ■ ■ Increase in grants, fees and charges £23.7m Increased demand for council services and contingency £12.9m ■ Increased cost to provide services (inflation) £5.3m 9
Page 1 and 2: Babergh District Council Babergh Co
Page 3 and 4: 2012/2013 An introduction from Jenn
Page 5 and 6: 2012/2013 Meeting our communities
Page 7: 2012/2013 Parish and town councils
Page 11 and 12: 2012/2013 Suffolk remains a safe co
Page 13 and 14: Where the money comes from Fees, Ch
Page 15 and 16: Liability, exemptions and discounts
Page 17 and 18: you may lose your right to pay by i
Page 19 and 20: PALS The Patient Advice and Liaison

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