Have your say in Derby City Council’s 2020/21 budget proposals

On Wednesday 13th November, Council Cabinet was given approval to go out to consultation on our 2020/21 Budget. The report sets out the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2020/21 to 2022/23, and describes how the Council will spend its funding on the development and delivery of Council services over the next three years, the key areas of investment and financial challenges faced.

It has been confirmed that the Council has a balanced budget for 2020/21, thanks to the collective hard work of colleagues across the Council. Part of the consultation is a total increase in Council Tax of 3.99% (of which 2% is specifically to support Adult’s and Children’s social care needs in our community).

This point is particularly important, given the significant increase in demand for People Services in recent years, specifically in Children’s Social Care. This trend is reflected on a national level, with the vast majority of local Councils experiencing similar growth in demand for services.

With this in mind, further investment has been included for these critical services in the budget proposals, and the MTFP has also been refreshed to fund other cost pressures arising from increased service demand.

The refreshed MTFP, which includes the impact of an increase in Government funding, is expected to go some way in improving the Council’s medium term financial sustainability.

The six week 2020/21 Budget Consultation is now open and will run until 2nd January 2020. It is open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Derby.

We encourage all of you to take part and have your say on the proposals in the budget consultation. It is vital that we have your involvement in these important decisions, so we can meet your needs as Derby citizens.

You can take part by completing the online survey or by completing a paper questionnaire and returning it in the envelope provided or to the following Freepost address: Budget Consultation, Derby City Council, FREEPOST, MID24259, Derby, DE1 2BR.

You can pick up a paper copy of the questionnaire at the Council House or one of our libraries or you can request a copy by contacting 01332 640000.

If you would like to request the questionnaire in a different format such as a different language or an easy read version please contact yourcityyoursay@derby.gov.uk or call 01332 640000.