Carlisle City Council Budget

Council unveils draft budget

(Date of issue: Wednesday, 22 December 2010)

Carlisle residents are being given the chance to have their say on the 2011/12 draft City Council budget.

Carlisle City Council’s Executive Committee is consulting with local residents, businesses and organisations about next year’s City Council draft budget.

Starting in 2010/11 and over five years to 2014/15, the City Council has to save £5.8million from its budget and wants views on how they should do this.

The money the City Council receives from central government has been cut by more than a quarter (26%) over the next four years. It needs to make substantial savings, up front, in the first couple of years, meaning that a higher percentage has to be taken from the 2011/12 budget.

Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr Mike Mitchelson, said:

“We have a strong track record of finding new ways of reducing our costs and have already taken steps to identify the savings required for 2011/12, this will help to ensure that our budgets are balanced and that Council Tax is kept low. We are, of course, committed to protecting front-line services, especially to our most vulnerable residents, but we have to take some tough decisions about our services and spending.

“We are looking at ways to deliver services differently, including sharing them with other authorities and commissioning work.

“We are working hard to make sure that our priorities of Environment and Economy continue to be the focus for the City Council, even in these very difficult times. This draft budget for 2011/12 will mean that we can still deliver key projects such as the Community Resources Centre and the Women and Families Accommodation.

“A draft budget has been put together and we want you tell us your views, before a decision is taken at the Full Council meeting in February 2011.”

Comments will be considered as part of the ongoing budget process and will be assessed by the Executive at their next meeting (Wednesday, 19 January). The final budget proposals will be discussed at Carlisle City Council’s Full Council on Tuesday, 1 February 2011.

A copy of the draft Executive budget is available to view at the Civic Centre’s Customer Contact Centre and is also available online by visiting Budget Consultations.

Any comments need to be sent to:

The Chief Executive,
Carlisle City Council,
Civic Centre,
Carlisle,
CA3 8QG

by 9am on Wednesday 19 January 2011.