West Oxfordshire District Council asks residents for feedback on priority spending over the coming years
West Oxfordshire District Council is running a consultation as it looks to sensibly manage the impact of increased costs and reduced Government funding, while also delivering on the district's priorities.
Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, said; “Our district council is dealing with the national financial challenge facing all local government organisations as a result of increasing inflation and cuts to Government funding over the past ten years.
“We are having to plan year by year due to a lack of long-term funding commitments from the Government and there is the expectation of more funding cuts for District Councils like West Oxfordshire to come in the next few years.
“While there is a challenge, we believe that with careful financial management, we can minimise the impact of those cuts, keep delivering good local services that residents expect, and also invest in our local area to tackle local issues.
“However, limited resources mean that choices must be made, and we are asking for residents' feedback on how they think we should prioritise those resources over the coming years as we look to plan our finances for the future.
“As part of our plans, we will keep working with our local partners like the County Council and also through other regional partnerships to combine resources to make a bigger difference for our communities.”
The consultation aims to inform budget plans for the 2024/25 financial year and beyond. The survey will ask residents about where they would like the council to prioritise its spending over the coming years across the wide range of services it delivers to residents. Only 10% of the council tax collected is spent by the District Council, with the rest being passed to the County Council, Parish Councils, and Police and Fire services.
Cllr Smith continued; “We are also continually working on improving the services you receive and also looking at how we can be more efficient so we make the best use of taxpayers money.”
Residents can participate in the consultation online by visiting https://yourvoice.westoxon.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/budget-consultation-2024-25 or get a physical copy of the survey from the Council office in Welch Way in Witney. The survey will be open from 13 November to 18 December. Physical copies of the consultation questions will also be available in the Council office in Witney.