Deadline reminder for Manchester budget consultation
5 January 2011
Manchester residents are being reminded that the deadline to respond to the City Council’s budget consultation is approaching.
The Council is asking people who live in the city what they think its spending priorities should be and residents have until 12 noon on 11 January 2011 to give their views.
Manchester City Council has pledged to do everything it can to support residents and protect the services they expect in the challenging years ahead. It has also committed not to increase its element of the Council tax and is hopeful that the overall bill, including the cost of police and fire services, will be frozen for the coming year.
During the past four years alone the Council has saved £56.9 million by introducing more efficient ways of working.
But cuts announced by central government mean the Council will have to find £100 million worth of savings in 2011/12 alone - making this year's annual budget consultation more important than ever.
Almost 1,800 residents have already had their say through telephone surveys, online and by post.
Councillor Bernard Priest, Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources, said: "I'd like to thank everyone who has already taken the time to respond to our budget consultation.
"The government's financial settlement for 2011/12 and 2012/13 was much worse than we expected and while it will be incredibly hard to maintain all services, we are determined - along with our partner agencies - to provide the support which Manchester residents need.
"We set out in the budget consultation what our proposed priorities are but before we finalise our plans we are keen to hear from residents what they think. Responses to previous consultations have helped us shape our plans and in the current financial climate it is more important than ever that residents give us their views."
To learn more about the consultation and respond to it online visit www.manchester.gov.uk/budget
Residents can also write to Budget Consultation, Freepost - MR - 1514, Town Hall, Manchester, M60 2BR.
The Council has also been conducting telephone surveys as part of the consultation.
