A plan for how the council will continue to meet the needs of residents within budget will go before Cabinet at a meeting next week.
Cabinet members will be asked to approve a consultation on the proposals, which address a budget gap of around £23m in 2025/26, at a meeting taking place at the Town Hall on Tuesday 17 December.
The report to Cabinet, and the consultation document for the public, sets out the significant financial challenge for councils nationally, caused by huge increases in demand, the complexity of care being required, and high interest rates which are pushing up the cost of borrowing and the price of supplies and services.
It also details how we will need to change the way we deliver services to be able to balance our budget in 2025/26 and beyond and asks residents for their views on the possibility of raising council tax beyond the referendum limit of 4.99% to support the delivery of services.
For every additional 1% council tax levied, just over £1m would be raised to support the delivery of council services and would cost a household £16.66 per year.
Councillor Mohammed Jamil, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Finance, said: “Not a week goes by without there being a story in the national media of a council which has issued, or is on the verge of issuing, a Section 114 Notice which pauses all but essential spending and involves government commissioners taking over the running of the council.
“This is not the case in Peterborough, and that is thanks to the hard work and determination of cross-party councillors and officers. However, it does mean that we have to be honest about the fact that we cannot continue to provide everything we have done previously.
“Next year’s proposed budget will see us continue to spend in areas of greatest need. Care for the elderly and vulnerable, support for children and families who need our help, and help for those in housing crisis. We’re also prioritising growth and regeneration of the city, knowing it will attract more and better paid jobs for our residents and put more money into our local economy, whilst maintaining all those essential services that residents rely upon such as waste and recycling collections, street cleansing and providing leisure attractions.
“Please look at the proposals document and tell us what you think once the consultation launches on 17 December.”
The Cabinet report also details feedback received from residents as part of this autumn’s Shaping our City consultation which asked residents for their feedback on a revised draft corporate strategy.
The council consulted in a number of ways, including face to face and online public meetings, online via a web-based form and using a Shaping Our City Facebook group, and briefing sessions with partners and council staff. A summary of the feedback is included in Appendix B of the Cabinet report.
The consultation will launch on Tuesday 17 December, subject to approval by Cabinet.
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