Value For Money Reviews Will Help Keep Council Tax Down
Bexley Council's new administration has given the go-ahead to a series of fundamental reviews into services and spending as it starts to address the Council's difficult financial situation.
"I know from listening to local people that they want Bexley to be a high-performing Council that delivers value for money and sets a Council Tax that people can afford," says Cabinet member for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Cllr Colin Campbell.
"We will take the tough decisions that are needed to make Bexley 'the value for money Council'," says Cllr Campbell. "Our residents have to live within their means and so must the Council."
Bexley's new Cabinet considered a report on value for money and financial planning at its first public meeting on 21 June. It instructed the Chief Executive to bring forward a comprehensive review programme, in which the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees will play a key role.
The Council's entitlement to Government grant is low and its financial difficulties are worsened by the current very small annual increases.
For the coming year, Bexley has been given a cash increase of only 2% to meet higher demand for services and inflation, although it faces inflationary costs of about 4.2%.
Councillors are concerned that the authority's current level of expenditure is not sustainable. According to the best available projections, spending may need to be cut by as much as £10 million over the next two years.
Senior managers will be asked to make presentations to the Council's Overview & Scrutiny Committees on the Council's services and the cost of providing them. Each committee will then look at the cost and effectiveness of everything the Council does and will give local people the opportunity to give their views and experiences on how the Council can do things better and more efficiently.
More details of the planned reviews will be made available in the Autumn.
