Deputy Mayor for City Economy, Finance, and Performance,
and Labour Councillor for Hillfields.
With Christmas now less than a week away, many of us will be looking ahead to the end of year and laying out plans to ensure 2024 kicks off to a positive start. Here at Bristol City Council, we’ve been doing just that as we continue to develop strategies that will effect positive change across Bristol and its services in the new year.
One aspect of our planning involves the essential process of putting together a Budget for the next financial year. This administration has a strong track record, delivering a balanced budget every year since talking office in 2016.
This requires the council to agree on a legal and balanced budget which clearly sets out how much we want to spend as well as how we intend to meet our spending targets. However, over the past 13 years, the amount of money made available to us has fallen due to a host of unprecedented events and an acute lack of financial support from central government.
This lack of funding in real terms has put immense pressure on councils across our country, as local authorities continue to struggle with a crippling cost of operating crisis amongst other financial pressures. A cursory look at our colleagues in Birmingham and Nottingham, who have both sadly been forced to issue section 114 notices in recent months, only highlights the dire straits that many local authorities have been pushed into.
Bristol has not been immune to these difficulties and has had to think creatively and proactively in order to support our city’s vital services. And, while the council has succeeded in weathering much of the storm, obstacles still remain, as we face with a £32 million funding gap that must be addressed, all while the needs of our citizens continue to grow.
In light of the UK’s challenging economic outlook, we’re positive that our fiscal plan can both balance the books and support people. Our proposed budget for the next financial year is designed to meet these significant challenges head-on and tackle the £32 million funding gap over the next five years, all while maintaining the host of essential services that help keep our city running smoothly.
Although we remain confident in our proposed budget plans for 2024/25, we still want to ensure that our proposals generate the widest positive impact possible for our city and its residents, which is why we want to hear from you via our Budget consultation.
The consultation aims to provide us with your views on options for the level of Council Tax and Social Care Precept, a levy designed to help with social care costs. We have also included a comment section for you to offer any further suggestions on how the council might save money, increase income, and deliver another balanced budget.
All responses will be analysed to help us develop final proposals for the coming financial year, with the Mayor’s Cabinet considering the proposals on 23rd January 2024, which is why it is essential to hear from as much of the public as possible.
The consultation closes this week, at midnight on 21 December, so while filling in a consultation on Bristol’s future budget may not be particularly high on your Christmas list, your opinion could make a world of difference in how we operate in the coming years. With that said, if you have time this festive season, make your voice heard on Bristol’s financial future by following the link below – and Merry Christmas.
Budget 2024-25 consultation | Ask Bristol Consultation and Engagement Hub
Accessible formats, including paper versions, Easy Read, Braille, large print, British Sign Language and surveys in other languages are available on request by emailing consultation@bristol.gov.uk or by calling 0117 922 2848.