Islanders are being invited to give their views on how the Isle of Wight Council should spend its money next year.
The annual budget consultation is now underway — seeking feedback from all residents about the priorities they want to see in the coming year (2022/23).
A short and focused survey seeks to understand how Islanders would prioritise spending for the next financial year.
Further engagement sessions are also being planned for the New Year for people to be able to discuss the budget and their thoughts about it. Details of events will be published during the consultation period.
The council expects to spend around £400million in the next financial year on areas including schools, social care, refuse collection, street cleaning, planning, regeneration and road maintenance.
In line with the council’s financial strategy, £3million must be saved next year as government funding continues to be reduced.
Council leader, Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox, said:
“Insufficient government funding levels and increases in demand for care services have forced the council to make continuous savings and cuts in previous years. Up to April 2021 we have had to make cumulative savings of more than £86 million.
Article continues below this advertisement “Following those years of insufficient government funding and with inflation currently at 4.2 per cent and rising, we are trying to keep services running and to provide value for money.
“Despite substantial increases in social care costs, the government has also cut the maximum additional council tax we can levy for adult social care services from three per cent to one per cent.
“The Alliance administration realises the Island cannot rely on government for any substantial financial assistance that will materially alter our current financing and has, as a result, adopted a new positive strategy focussed on locally driven income generation.
“A range of innovative initiatives are being developed that build on natural assets of our beautiful Island, capitalise on our council land and other resources and fully utilise our professional staff and external partners.
“These will take time to plan and put into practice but work is underway as they represent a real prospect of driving recovery and benefitting all Islanders.”
Budget options will be published in February 2022.
In the meantime, views of all Islanders are encouraged by 21st January 2022. Feedback can be sent online at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BD9VYJF. Printed copies of the survey will also be available.
Councillor Peacey-Wilcox added:
“Your views will be taken into account and will help to inform what we do as we plan to set a legal and lawful budget for 2022/23.”
how about cutting the bloated salaries, cutting the bloated pension contributions, cutting the bloated meeting claims, cutting the encouragement of benefit claimants moving to the island at the taxpayers expense which increases the burden on the island tax payers, refusing to accept any so called asylum seekers, that could have claimed asylum in france or any other country they arrived in before britain, cutting the bloated adult social care budget, cutting the financial waste on “woke” stupidity, cutting the number of council employees and cutting the size of council overall.
Then – give the islanders who actually work a tax refund
Excellent post isle of wighter. Way too many claiming they can’t work, bad back, MH issues. Too soft. There are generations of the same families with zero work ethic, they are like parasites, they just take from society and give nothing back. Why should hard working people who do go to work, who have a good work ethic, keep the ‘takers’ who expect the British Tax payer to give them everything. Many more claimants will come to the island putting even more of a drain on the tax payers.
isle of wighter i agree with you entirely,this now has to stop, they also could have saved money on this Wight elephant, {floati}, 3/4 million on a webbsite which is a rip off, wasting money on road layouts that never work ,new council vehicles .,cut in the council wages ,not services , all personal items to be cut ,any additional expence claim to be now scutinised and this mean holidays or petrol claims , police force expences to be scrutinised, and extra finance requested to be in line with inflation, .this includes COUNCIL TAX.,
Another box ticking exercise so that they can claim the public supported their actions.
From the very first question the survey basically says “which leg would you like to cut off” and doesn’t give the option to say “neither”.
The choice is big cuts or inflation busting rises both of which are damaging and the problem is that virtually all the money that comes in in already earmarked for devolved expenses like social care so both rises and cuts are likely going to happen anyway.
Surely the time has come for the council to push back to central government and demand that they deliver on their promised island deal.
Oh yes you’re spot on tick box and then do exactly what they want…..
Well we have asked the cash cow’s!!!!!
Now hike council tax and carry on regardless….
Have electric cars have air conditioning have pension pot !!!!
Ooh what else can we waste their money on ???????
Ooh computer system …
What else non floating bridge !!!!
Mmmm sure we can find something else !.?!.?….
‘locally driven income generation’. you heard it here folks. They’re going to charge us for everything they can possibly wring out of us.
What’s the point in participating. Whatever we suggest as council tax payers none of our suggestions will be takien on board by these council muppets. All that will happen is another council tax rise to offset the millions they have wasted and overspent.
Give us a break !! Unfortunately we don’t all earn Council salaries!!!
How about having this council investigated regarding all the money they waste.
Echo, can you expose the Councils waste especially on the floating bridge and how much money it has cost.
The Consultant fees they so frequently use.
The price of ALL THOSE pool cars they have…. use your own cars and claim mileage like most people have to do.
Turn the heating OFF instead of opening the windows ???
They seem untouchable don’t they.
Look at the state of this Island now.
Here you are… Some eye-watering amounts in here, Only checked part of October so far
Sorry, forgot the link:
https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/transparency/Transparency-Our-Finances/Spending-and-Finance2
yes –
page15 £440,155.49 in a month to go south coast ltd – for free transport for over 60’s
page18 £2,215,124.40 in a month to Island Roads for the PFI contract.
£604,088,74 in a month to Island Roads for bus infrastructure – can’t southern vectis pay it!
Page 27 nearly £200,000 paid out to alcohol and drug misuse treatment to the NHS services.
page 34 over a hundred grand paid out to the NHS for long acting reversible contraception
Page 58 countless entries for Gas to Gazprom – nice to see we get the gas directly from the russians.
Page 72 countless payments to wightlink/red funnel and Hovertravel – should pay their own ferry fares.
79 pages for one month – shameless spending most of it.
Wow crazy isn’t it!
why all the money on free bus passes – most drive a car but chose the bus when it suits … if you have a driving licence you should not be able to apply for one in the first place !
I won’t comment on the rest of the monies wasted each month as it would be the same type as previously commented on bus passes !
peacey wilcox – we, the taxpayers expect you to say to all the current recipients of our cash, that we worked for and that has been taken from us against our will in the form of direct and indirect taxation, that there will be no increases to the amounts you are getting from the taxpayers and that in some cases it will be reduced or removed completely.
When they complain, advise them, that the taxpayers have decided that they are going to keep more of the money that they have worked hard for, instead of involuntarily giving it to spongers, leeches and other sad cases. So get used to living on less or get a job
Looked at the survey and this question caught my eye.
Are you currently pregnant or have recently given birth?Yes
No
Not applicable
Prefer not to day
I prefer not to be pregnant to day either lol.
How much did this survey cost to set up.
Council Tax charges are becoming a Joke
Most people are paying over £40.00 a week before they walk out of their street door.
What for?, so the bins get emptied once a week.
Lower the ridiculous wages that the Council are paying to many employees who earn over £100,000.00+ per annum
Stop wasting Council Tax Money
No Household should be paying more than £1,200 A year
Lee it most certaily now a rip off all council tax to be inline with inflation ,no more ,every year this council gets two bites of the cherry by cutting services ,and increasing council tax EVERY YEAR, by more than the rate of the inflation .Where is it all going ,
Spot on. For a start get rid of that great big building they all work in and call County Hall.. not needed once the work force has been chopped or are sat at home ‘working’ on video games.
oh and why do all the lights stay on all night when there is no one in any of the offices ???
How much of islanders Council Tax contributions have been CONTINUALLY WASTED on the ‘not fit for purpose’ Floating Bridge??? Millions….. Hopefully this newly elected council will not waste and throw away funds. REINSTATE THE ROAD POLICING UNIT. This would be an excellent move and a much needed service to the island
I agree with all the comments on here and the shameful use of our rip off council tax spending BUT they will take not a bit of notice of our hear say, or care less what we think, the only thing needed is an independent inquiry to what all the wasted money is spent on, is that likely to happen??
Don’t forget about how sneaky they’ve been, whilst they only increase by only the maximum allowed parish precepts can go up with no limit, add the police and care part it is now a complete joke. Just like privatation of our utility companies with the promise of lower prices when in reality they just go up and up
Learning how to look after what they’ve got before thinking of how to waist what’s coming may be a good starting point. Stop renting office buildings the council once owned, then sold only to rent back from the new owners springs to mind. I understand the need to sell off buildings & land that are no longer of use & being able to put the moneys gained from such sales to good use. However renting back the same building?! The sale of land & allowing the purchaser to dictate the price & payment plan is also worth scrutinising 100 K could be put to good use. £2.80 a week spread over decades only shows favouritism in my mind!!