Sleaford residents asked for ideas to help set district council's budget

SLEAFORD residents are being given the chance to contribute ideas and options to the district council as part of the budget setting process.

An event is taking place at Council Chamber in Sleaford tomorrow at 7pm.

For the year from April, North Kesteven District Council is looking to set a target budget of £11,491,800 to invest in service delivery.

With Central Government support reduced by £2m to £4.1m this year and by another £1million next year, the council's Executive Board is weighing up options to balance the budget without compromising service delivery.

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Councillor Marion Brighton, leader of NKDC, said: "After achieving substantial savings in recent years, we continue to strive forward in our delivery of excellent services in a responsive, responsible and highly efficient manner and welcome the input of our residents and stakeholders in shaping those services and priorities to suit their needs.

"Further difficult decisions have to be taken by the council in order to ensure a balanced financial plan, given the finite resources available, and once more we are looking into every area of council business."

With Council Tax income contributing around a third of the budget Mrs Brighton added it was essential to strike the right balance.

There are three options under consideration, which will be discussed with residents at the consultation events where Council Tax and Business Rate payers can hear more detail of the proposals and contribute their views.

The three options are to freeze the tax for a third year, in return for a Government grant worth £52,000; to increase by up to 2 per cent (worth £104,000) without the need for a referendum; or to accept an unusual exception offered by the Government to councils such as NKDC which have the lowest Council Tax rates and increase the basic rate by 3.7 per cent (less than 10p a week) which would raise £186,000.

For details and booking, call 01529 308016 or e-mail research@n-kesteven.gov.uk