Liverpool City Council has started a consultation on its budget for 2022/23 as it seeks to bridge a £34 million gap next year.
The council’s budget is £465 million a year less than it was in 2010.
Council Tax only raises 40 per cent of the total needed, with the remainder coming from government grants and business rates.
What are the proposals?
Ideas totalling £18.7 million have so far been drawn up following consultation between the cabinet and council officers, including a mix of reductions in spending and generating additional income.
All of the budget saving proposals are viewed in relation to the Mayor’s triple-lock of their impact on people, planet and equality.
They assume that Council Tax will rise by the maximum allowed, expected to be 3 per cent, with 1 per cent ringfenced for adult social care.
The options include:
- A review of the controlled parking zones and services – to generate £1.6 million
- A £40 annual charge for green bin collections – to raise £1.7 million
- Charging private landlords and social housing providers for pest control – to bring in £200,000
- Managing demand for school transport – to save £500,000
- Reviewing high-cost packages of care to ensure individual needs are being met and funded in the correct way – to save £1.9 million
- Increasing revenue from filming, cruise liners and events – to bring in £270,000
- Management restructure – to save £200,000
- Review of subsidy given to several externally run libraries – to save £280,000
What happens next?
A consultation on the budget proposals is taking place until 22 January, giving you the chance to have your say over the plans.
There will also be drop-in sessions for people to feedback, briefings for councillors and stakeholders and a live online Q&A with Mayor Joanne Anderson.
There will also be an online budget simulator where you will be able to try and balance the council’s books yourself.
Following completion of the consultation, a final budget report will be drawn up and considered by the Cabinet in February 2022, and taken on to a special budget council meeting on Wednesday 2 March 2022.
You can read the cabinet papers with more details of the proposals on the council’s website.
Tell us what you think
You can submit your comments online
And go online to www.liverpool.gov.uk/budget
Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said: “We have to save an eye-watering amount of money in order to legally balance our budget.
“We will examine every decision through our triple-lock prism of its impact on people, the planet and improving equality.
“We are committed to doing what we can to protect the most vulnerable and those struggling to make ends meet, and they are among our highest priorities.
“We won’t shirk away from finding sustainable solutions to long-term problems and the double whammy of ‘austerity’ and Covid-19.”
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Jane Corbett, said: “There are no easy decisions in the proposals being put forward for consultation.
“These budget proposals protect Children’s Centres, Lifestyles leisure centres and our anti-poverty grants but there will inevitably be a lot pain to go through due to the triple whammy of austerity, Covid-19 and in-work poverty.
“We really need people to get involved and have their say during the 10 week consultation period. We need to come together to build back fairer. All your concerns, ideas and views are very welcome.”
