Overview to scrutinise Executive budget proposals

EAST Lindsey District Council’s Executive Board has today (Tuesday, January 17, 2012) supported a draft budget for 2012/13 that would freeze Council Tax and protect front line services to local people.
Now, the draft budget, put forward to the Board by the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor John Upsall, will be scrutinised by the Council’s Overview Committee on February 1, 2012.  The Overview Committee’s recommendations will then go back to the Council’s Executive on February 14, 2012 for consideration and then onto full Council on February 29, 2012 for further debate.
Over the next year the Council needs to save a further £2.6m from its £19.4m revenue budget to balance the books.  The saving is needed in additional to the £3.6m made for the 2011/12 financial year and is a result of reduced Government funding and increases in costs such as fuel and electricity.
The saving for 2012/13 outlined in the draft budget could come from more efficient ways of working in the Council, including a £1.2m reduction in staffing costs, £500,000 from a senior management restructure.  Compass Point Business Services will also continue to provide the Council with a significant savings of £1.4m each year, increasing by a further £65,000 in 2013/14.
The Council’s full draft budget is available to view at www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/consultation until January 29 with local people and businesses invited to have their say as part of the annual budget consultation exercise.  The feedback provided during the consultation period will go before the Overview Committee  when it meets.
Chairman of the Council’s Overview Committee, Councillor Fiona Martin, said: “The Overview Committee plays a vital role in ensuring the Council has robust plans in place to deal with the savings the Council needs to make over the next year and into the future when the challenge becomes even greater.  We must robustly and rigorously challenge the Executive Board to ensure their Plans are well thought through and to ensure local people are receiving the best service possible from the money the Council has available.”