The Isle of Wight Council has put forward its proposed budget for the coming year — one that seeks to push the ‘reset’ button and reverse the previous annual cycle of cuts and decline, but still looks to find £3million of savings and increase Council Tax by 2.99%.
In proposing this year’s £400million spending plans, the council has said it’s applying the brakes to the former approach of managing decline and plotting a new course to a positive future for the Island and its community.
It is a budget, the council says, that protects the young, the elderly and most vulnerable in society by preserving valued frontline services.
To help meet some of the shortfall, Full Council will be asked to approve a general council tax rise of 1.99%, with a further rise of 1% specifically to protect adult social care. In total, the proposed increase equates to an extra £44 per year for a typical band C taxpayer.
There will also be increases in some areas of fees and charges to try to generate more income to help deliver key services for residents. This includes parking charges which will go up by 10p an hour from July, as reported by Island Echo last night.
Councillor Chris Jarman, Cabinet member for strategic finances, said:
“The past few years have seen a process of managing decline.
“Budgets have simply aimed to tighten the council’s belt further and further, trying to do what is necessary with ever reducing funds and mistakenly describing the process as savings rather than stating the reality of it being an ongoing process of cuts.
Article continues below this advertisement “This process cannot continue.
“We need to reinvigorate the council and start to develop a financial strategy built on growth, rather than cuts. If we fail to do this, then key services that support our residents, our Island and our community will either cease or cease to be sustainably adequate for the need and demand.
“Our goal is to be in a position to stop the direction the council has been heading for the past four years, to turn the wheel and to start moving forward in a new direction.”
He pointed to the recent decision by Full Council to aim to increase the level of council tax support for households on low incomes from the current 65% to at least 70% from 1st April next year as an example of the council’s new approach.
And he said work was already underway to identify and develop commercial opportunities that will allow the council to move away from a programme of cuts to reinvestment in services, and it is the hope that this work will start to show benefit in budgets in future years.
However, without additional government funding, an ‘Island Deal’ or sufficient time to initiate plans to generate more income to the council, Councillor Jarman added:
“Part of what we are doing this year is driven by what we have inherited from the previous council.
“We have, as a result, had to identify savings and income generating measures with our hands tied to some extent.
“Nevertheless, we have sought to do this in the least damaging way possible. In addition, we have taken an approach that aims to protect whatever we possibly can.
“Our aim is that what we must do this year, to achieve £3 million of savings required by the process we have inherited, will in fact be mainly savings and efficiencies, rather than continuing the ongoing process of cuts we have seen in the last few years.
“This will mean we can then start the process of rebuilding and regenerating the council and our Island community from a sound financial basis, rather than simply managing an inevitable financial decline.
“Our aim is to invest as much of the council’s money as possible on the Island for the benefit it can provide in supporting jobs and the economy.”
The proposed revenue budget sits alongside an ambitious £40million capital programme which proposes a wide range of projects to improve the lives of Islanders, both at home and in the community.
Key highlights include:
- at least £25million investment in providing new homes for Islanders
- £2.5million towards the start-up of a new council owned housing company providing for local people
- an immediate £3.6million investment in securing relocatable homes to support those most in need of a home
- £1.4million to improve the availability of independent living flats for those with high dependency needs
- £2.2million for highway safety and improvement schemes over the next 2 years
The proposed budget papers have been published ahead of being discussed at the council’s scrutiny committee next Tuesday, followed by further discussions at Cabinet on 10th February before all councillors vote on the proposals on 23rd February.
I hope my pension increases by the same amount.
The state pension is going to increase by 3.1% from 11th April according to the treasury.
Afraid not. Boris has earmarked that to support all his new arrivals.
jarman says…and further, trying to do what is necessary with ever reducing funds
That is odd jarman, because in my book, an increase in council tax, directly relates to an increase in funds the council is taking from islanders.
are you insane jarman …we do not need new homes on the island – we are already gridlocked on the roads and no spaces at dentist, doctors and schools. Flooding is worse than ever as they systems can’t cope – are you all devoid of common sense at the council.
Council tax only makes up a portion of their income. The rest comes from central government, and that is what gets cut
Is this the same council that has given its self a pay rise ?? They quote £25 Million for housing for the island, and £2.5 million to set up a company to run it, so it’s back to council housing via the back door ?? Every time a company puts in for planning permission it says it will provide a portion of the plan as social housing ?? where are they ??
If as they seem intent on doing, it is their intention to build on every piece of spare land. Where will the Hospital, Doctors, Dentists, Schools, Jobs, to name but a few Where will they come from ??
When they have completely ruined the island by over population, what will they do next
More houses = More cars = More crashes = more injured or dead = More use of the 1 Hospital and more use of the tiny police force we have here. You can see where I’m going. Why isn’t Seely and the Council pestering the Government for more money to build the Island another Hospital, not just trying to waste time and money squeezing in more more wards into an already overloaded one. Build a hospital not more damn houses.
Re making savings…..
Make council staff drive their own cars to work and sell your fleet of electric cars or cancel the leases!!!!!
Stop using car washes which we pay for!!!!! a sponge and bucket is cheaper and just as efficient….
Stop blaming previous Councils …..you are a lot of the previous council !!!!!!
Stop awarding over inflated pay rises ….
Stop using our council tax for your pension pot and use it for the benefit of the island…
And turn down your heating which we pay for…
And in summer air con ..
Don’t waste money on non floating bridge. Or computer system. Etc etc.
Very sensible!
I think the queues at the car wash are a reflection of how society has changed. To think that not long ago, people used to scrub their own doorstep.
Budgets not too tight too award them all with recent pay rises huh?
services have barely been offered yet public loos are disgusting lots of things not done so should of made big savings through covid tbh.gov gave many handouts .yet us always suffer for poor money wasting choices all the time.
Appawling
Cut back on excess “management”with their over inflated pay rises and let the “minions” who live in the real world of the average person sort it.
Perhaps the council could give some of their pay rise to help with all the projects!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris Jarman already does.
Personally I am fed up paying £2,000 a year just to have my bins emptied once a week.
COUNCIL TAX SHOULD BE PART OF INCOME TAX.
New home for islanders I hope so don’t need more dfls also can you spend some money on roads and public transport so the 94000 registered vehicles on the island can be parked instead of blocking are roads
I know it is a waste of time commenting as what ever us said on here the council will still do what they want. Perhaps they need to build some arch ways for us all to sleep under when we are all homeless having lost our homes due to no being able to afford to pay for food,heating and somewhere to live !
I don’t know this Jarman person but he is obviously quite full of what we all occasionally have to tread in on the pavements now and again.
They could start by getting rid of the floating bridge and put the money to better use, how about making island roads actually maintain the roads instead of just patching them up.