Milton Keynes City Council leaders reveal budget plans

Milton Keynes City Council leaders have revealed plans for their next budget.

The leadership of the Council’s Progressive Alliance, made up of MK Labor and Liberal Democrat parties, has announced plans for the next year aimed at providing more cost-of-living support, investing in safeguarding local jobs and no cuts in services to undertake, although they need to save over £11m.

The draft budget will be formally proposed for consultation next week, with a final vote by all Council members in February.

Under the terms announced earlier this week, Milton Keynes City Council intends to find more than half of the required £11m savings through efficiency savings, reducing the number of managers and reducing the overall number of staff employed by the council, without having to this has an impact on the provision of services.

However, the city council is increasing the municipal tax by the 4.99% that the Chancellor recently announced in the autumn statement. Even so, the increase is less than half current inflation and was valued at around £200 less than neighboring authorities.

The budget plans also include investments to support the local economy as the prolonged recession begins to take hold, with proposals to strengthen local highways, support small business owners and help people losing their jobs.

The City Council plans to increase the funding it provides to support local families and those on low incomes during the cost-of-living crisis. The City Council is proposing funding to launch an emergency mortgage rate relief program aimed at providing short-term relief to homeowners hit by rising mortgage rates.

Milton Keynes City Council Labor Leader Cllr Peter Marland said: “The Conservative government has crashed the economy, the country is mired in strife and local people are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. We all pay the price for successive Conservative governments.

“The Progressive Alliance is proposing a budget that is on the side of our residents. We will provide more support to people during the cost of living crisis, invest in our local economy to keep people in jobs and reduce waste instead of services.”

Cllr Robin Bradburn, Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes City Council for the Liberal Democrats, added: “I came into local politics to help people. I’m delighted that because of the strong and competent way we manage our finances, we can propose a package of support and investments to help people when they need it most and boost our economy. As municipalities across the country cut services, here in Milton Keynes we are conducting weekly rubbish sweeps and not closing a single library or children’s center.”