This is a very advanced notice about Public meetings being held in the borough as the Council budget is set for 2013-14. Further information will be published here when it is made available by the Council.
The Leader of Bromley Council, Councillor Stephen Carr, is inviting those who live and work in Bromley to join him and other leading Councillors at one of the public meetings being held in the borough as the Council budget is set for 2013-14. There is more than £30 million to be cut from the Council's budget over the next four years in addition to similar savings made in the last two years. With more tough choices to be made the Council wants to hear as many views as possible about the future shape of the Council. The meetings will take place as follows:
The Leader of the Council, Stephen Carr said: "In the next four years we have to save more than £30 million in addition to similar savings made over the last two years with further uncertainty about government funding into the future. Be assured we are challenging everything we do and how we do it, striving for ever greater efficiencies and to give you value for every penny spent - as such we are one of the lowest spending Council's in London. But we have to recognise these year on year cuts are at a time of increasing demands for services to support the vulnerable in our community, when the cost of waste disposal is rising, when there will be a shortfall of over £2 million from the government as we localise Council tax benefit, when we face losing money under the academy programme - and the list goes on.
Of course we are exploiting every opportunity to generate income and we argue, and will continue to argue, we need a fairer deal for Bromley in terms of government funding. But that said, we have to be realistic and open about the increasingly tough choices we all now have to make. Yes, we remain committed to our vision of Building a Better Bromley, yes we will do all we can to protect frontline services. But faced with this magnitude of savings we have to ask some difficult questions. For instance should we continue to keep all our libraries open? Should we keep maintaining our parks and gardens? Should we keep the same level of youth provision? How do we provide care for increasing numbers of older people with complex needs? And we have to ask you as taxpayers whether you would be prepared to pay a small increase in council tax to maintain such services? There are no easy choices only increasingly tough ones and it is vital we hear your views on the future shape of your Council."
To ensure people are as well informed as possible, Bromley Council will be posting up-to-date information about the challenges to be addressed on the Council's website a week before the first meeting where you can also find details of the meetings. Or you can call 020 8464 3333.
While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information, it is for information only and does not imply any endorsement by LERA.
While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information, it is for information only and does not imply any endorsement by LERA.
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