Residents and businesses can now share how they think Essex County Council should prioritise its 2024/25 budget, as part of a new consultation.
The consultation on the county council’s 2024/25 budget is open until Sunday 3 December. It can be completed here: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/rci/ecc-budget-consultation-2024-25/.
Next year, the council will spend over £2 billion on essential services, as well as investment in the county’s infrastructure and future growth.
The council has a track record of robust financial management, having saved £235 million over the past five years.
However, the financial outlook for local authorities in general is highly uncertain. This is in large part due to the significant impacts of high inflation, rising interest rates and the continued pressure of the cost-of-living situation.
With this uncertain outlook in mind, the council is asking residents and businesses for their views on:
- the big issues it faces and the challenges that lie ahead for Essex
- the things that concern you and your family
- where we should focus resources as we work to improve lives across our county
The responses received will be used to inform the delivery of Everyone’s Essex in 2024/25 and beyond.
Councillor Chris Whitbread, Chancellor of Essex, said: “We don’t have all the answers when it comes to addressing the challenges we face locally and nationally. Like many households across Essex, we must also make difficult choices about where we spend our budget and where to make savings.
“We can learn a lot from our communities and it’s important we create opportunities for people and businesses to help inform our priorities for the coming year. A positive way of doing this is by sharing your views during the consultation.”
The consultation on the county council’s 2024/25 budget is open until Sunday 3 December. It can be completed here: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/rci/ecc-budget-consultation-2024-25/.
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