Have your say on Herts County Council budget spending

Updated: 23 November 2017

Hertfordshire County Council is calling on residents to have a say on how we spend your council tax money and what our budget priorities should be for the next year...

Hertfordshire County Council is calling on residents to have a say on how they spend your council tax money and what their budget priorities should be for the next year.

Hertfordshire County Council supplies vital services to everyone who lives in Hertfordshire, whether that's providing social care, maintaining the county's 3,000 miles of road or making sure every child has a school place.

In a time of continuing financial challenges, Hertfordshire County Council would like to know how you think your council tax money should be spent.

David Williams, Acting Leader of the Council, said: “The council continues to face significant financial challenges. Since 2010 we have made savings of almost £290 million from our annual budget and we must make further savings of £42 million by 2020. This is because the Government has significantly reduced its grant to councils and because the number of people living in Hertfordshire is growing every year. For instance, our revenue support grant from central government, which we can spend on any service, has been reduced by £35 million in the 2017/18 financial year.

“We continue to seek out ways of making efficiencies, bringing innovative approaches to service delivery and working closely with our partners – whether from the public, charitable or private sectors. However, given the tough financial challenge we face, this can only go so far. We want to get the right outcomes for our community while giving the best value for money and so it is vital that we hear from local people.

“We need to make some important decisions about how we allocate money and we want your views. If you live in Hertfordshire, these decisions affect you, so please have your say.”

You can give your views in our  online survey  before the end of Sunday 17 December 2017.

The final budget and council tax levy will be agreed at Full Council on 20 February 2018.