ISLANDERS are being invited to suggest how their Council Tax is spent next year.
The authority is about to embark on a consultation programme during which Islanders will have the chance to say in which areas they would like to see their money used.
They will be asked not only in which service area they would like to see more investment made but also in which areas — if any — they would like to see charges raised in order to raise revenue.
During the consultation, the public will be invited to complete a questionnaire to outline their preferences. In addition, the views of various age groups from the young to older people will also be canvassed in a series of focus groups.
Council leader Cllr David Pugh said: “This is about putting the public’s ideas into action. Last year we formed the One Island programme as a result of what we were told by Islanders.
“That has seen tremendous investment in areas including the public realm, road safety, free homecare to the over 80s, free swimming to young people during school holidays as well as new toilet blocks and dog wardens.
“Now we need to know if the priorities expressed this year remain areas where people want to see their money invested. As we have previously said, this will be a challenging year for us financially so in addition, we also want to know in which areas they feel revenue can be raised.
“We really hope that as many people will take up the opportunity to help us form the budget priorities. We hope this provide a worthwhile example of democracy in action. Your council tax helps pay for many of the council services that you use and we are determined to use this money in the best way possible.”
Cllr Pugh said: “Of course, noNo-one wants to see council tax rise higher than necessary and IW Council’s was kept below inflation for this year. The council aims to continue to keep tax rates in line with inflation, providing a balance between affordability and the provision of better services to more people.”
The Council spends over £300m a year, delivering services from recycling and waste collection, to education, care for the elderly and community safety.
After direct funding to schools and other subsidies the council is left to find £155m. Around £56m of this spending is funded by business rates and the Revenue Support Grant from Government, the rest has to come from charges for services and council tax.
Early indications suggest the government grant for 2008/9, will mean the council will have limited resources with a funding gap of around £5m per annum. Existing service costs are also estimated to increase by £10m next year in addition to any services improvements or the introduction of new services and amenities.
The public are invited to contribute to a survey in the County Press on Friday which they can return to County Hall free of charge. The survey is also available on line at the council’s website www.iwight.com/budget2008/survey/. Submissions should be made be made by Friday Jan 11 2008.
