Manchester People - Issue 37, New Year 2009

Manchester City Council is currently in a period of significant change, with a clear focus on providing better and more cost-effective services for the people of Manchester.

Our key priorities are:

• People reaching their full potential through education and employment
• Creating neighbourhoods of choice and sustainable communities
• Promoting everyone's self-esteem and mutual respect.

To achieve these aims, the Council will strive to provide first-class services, while achieving efficiency savings and keeping council tax increases over the next three years to no more than inflation.

A large proportion of the money the Council spends comes from the Government, which has already confirmed that for 2009/10 and 2010/11 we will receive an increase in our main grant of only 2.4% and 1.9% respectively. Although no announcement has yet been made for 2011/12, we are assuming for budget planning purposes that the increase will be no more than 2%. In addition, the general downturn in the economy is likely to see demand for some Council services increase, while at the same time also lead to a shortfall of income from a number of other sources.

To deal with this, the Council has asked senior managers to identify options for reducing costs. Where possible this will be done by finding more efficient ways of doing what we already do without reducing the quality of services. Before any final decisions, the Council would welcome your views on where its service priorities should lie.

Councillor Bernard Priest, Executive Member for Finance, said: "We remain committed to education, and to social care for children and adults, and will continue to put as much money into them as we can afford. We know that Mancunians want their city to be great - and a great place to live - and we will be working hard to make sure that money is available for the things local people want their Council to deliver.

"Keeping down the cost of Council services is still a priority for us and we will want to hold down the council tax increase to no more than inflation yet again. We think that is what Manchester people want, but this is your opportunity to tell us what you think."

We want to hear your views, so a city-wide consultation will run until the end of January. You may like to give us your views on any services you have direct experience of, suggest areas of service you feel need to be improved, or even identify services you feel should not be provided.

The Council's policy of limiting rises in its council tax to no more than inflation over almost the whole of the last decade has seen council tax levels in Manchester move from being one of the highest in England to among the lowest. We welcome your views on whether the Council is right to continue to limit the increase in council tax, even if this means services may have to be cut back.

A final decision on the services to be provided, and the level of council tax, will be made at a full Council meeting on 4 March. Further details of the Council's finances are contained in the Council's Medium Term Financial Plan for 2008/09 to 2010/11, and the current budgets for services, all of which are available on our website. If you want to see the additional information available, or have views on any of our services:

• Visit the Council's website at: www.manchester.gov.uk/finance
• Request a copy on answerphone on 234 3421
• Write (no stamp required) to Budget Consultation, Freepost-MR-1514, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2BR
• Email: budget.consultation@manchester.gov.uk

How do we compare?

Band D council tax charges in Manchester in 2008/09 are £1,097.10 for the Council (an increase on the previous year of just 2.5 per cent) rising to £1,271.68 because of precept charges, which fund fire and police services (an increase on last year of 3 per cent). Comparative figures for Band D in other authorities are shown below. In 2008/09 Manchester's council tax remained the second lowest of all the Greater Manchester authorities and lower than most of the major cities outside London, such as Newcastle, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol and Sheffield.