Council set to fund future transformation to maximize efficiency and effectiveness

At a Horsham District Council Cabinet meeting on 23 January 2020, councillors will look to agree the 2020/21 revenue and capital budgets following receipt of the provisional financial settlement from the Government on 20 December 2019.

The Council is set to recommend a budget that will generate a surplus, which will help towards funding future transformation to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

During the next financial year, the Council is aiming to deliver a £13.3m capital programme, while the level of council tax proposed remains the lowest in West-Sussex and is in the lowest quartile nationally.

The investment programme is set to include a broad range of initiatives ranging from:

• Provision of more much needed affordable housing for the District
• Introduction of a range of schemes as part of a drive to reduce our carbon footprint and become carbon neutral in line with national targets
• Investment in improved digital technology to make it easier for our residents and businesses to deal with us online when they need to.

Councillors at the meeting will also review the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-24 in the light of any updated information.

The Council plans to continue to deliver savings and income generation through a combination of measures.

It will be recommended to full Council that the Horsham District Council portion of Council Tax for 2020/21 is increased by £2.99 a year from £149.53 to £152.52 for an average (Band D) rated property.

Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Ray Dawe, said:

“At a time when the pressure on local authority finances remains as great as ever, it is commendable that as a result of prudent financial planning over a number of years, the Council is delivering as strong a budget as this, while still delivering its services and investing in future projects that will improve our ongoing efficiency.

“With councils facing reduced Government financial support and in a period with a high degree of national economic and political uncertainty, we have maintained our sound financial position.

“We shall be working to continue to deliver our plans to maintain this position through a combination of measures such as income generation and digital transformation.”

The proposals if supported, will be recommended to full Council on 12 February 2020.