As we mentioned last month, the February cabinet meeting will be starting earlier than usual. The meeting which takes place from 5pm on Tuesday 14th February will be looking at among other things the 2012/13 budget proposals (embedded below for your convenience). This in from the council, in their own words. Ed
Papers outlining council tax and budget proposals for 2012/13 have been published by the Isle of Wight Council.
The papers will be discussed by the council’s cabinet at its 14 February meeting. The document contains proposals to freeze the council tax for the second year running, identifies savings of £3.835 million in 2012/13 and also details the schemes and projects in which the council would invest as part of a capital investment programme of over £26 million over the next two financial years.
Supporting the economy
Much of the forthcoming investment bolsters the council’s priority of supporting the economy and includes a £3 million commitment to enabling Islandwide super-fast broadband, £1 million capital investment in the proposed Solent Ocean Energy Centre to develop tidal power technology and £300,000 to invest in providing employment opportunities for young people.
The budget papers include investment of £3 million over nine years in tourism through a new destination management organisation, a £500,000 programme to upgrade council-run public toilets while there is also a proposed freeze to parking charges for the fourth year running. Support is also ongoing to prepare for the Highways PFI which begins in 2013 and will see unprecedented upgrade of the Island’s roads network in what will be the biggest engineering project ever undertaken on the Island.
Follow public consultation
The proposed budget follows a period of consultation in which individual residents as well as groups and organisations including town and parish councils, the business and voluntary sectors and community groups gave their views on what should be priority areas for council funding. A budget simulator also encouraged members of the public to consider where council spending reductions cuts should be made, where efficiencies might be found and where income might be generated.
“Council has made considerable effort to listen to residents”
Isle of Wight Council chief executive Steve Beynon said, “Once again the council has made considerable effort to listen to residents as part of the budget setting process. I believe the papers reflect not just us listening but also us framing proposals to address the views expressed.
“For example the emphasis on boosting the economy and encourage job creation, particularly among young adults, the proposed freeze in car parking charges and the support for tourism all reflect what we were being told loudly and clearly through the budget consultation.”
Next week, prior to the cabinet meeting on February 14, a round of meetings of the council’s scrutiny panels will all be held to give elected members the chance to study the proposals and make recommendations to cabinet.
Scrutiny panels consider budget proposals
On Monday (6 February) evening, the children and young people scrutiny panel kicks of the process, it is the turn of the health and community wellbeing scrutiny panel on Tuesday (7), the economy and environment scrutiny panel will meet on Wednesday (8) and on Thursday (9) the council’s overview and scrutiny committee convenes.
The budget will be formally set at the Full Council meeting of 29 February.
The budget papers can be viewed on the following link while a series of question and answers arising from points made during the consultation process are being prepared and will shortly appear shortly on iwight.com.
Image: Paul Schadler under CC BY 2.0
