Weymouth & Portland Borough Council will receive more than 14% less from central government to pay for local services in 2013/14.
The full effect of the recent financial settlement from government is now known to be a reduction of £533,459 or 14.45% on the previous year.
Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Finance and Assets Briefholder Peter Chapman said: “This is obviously extremely bad news and will make setting the 2013/14 budget even more difficult. Any room for manoeuvre that the council had over budget options has pretty much disappeared.
“We will also have to revise downwards the funding that we can expect to receive in future years which will increase the budget gap going forwards.”
The borough council has recently consulted businesses and residents on proposals to reduce non-essential services. Original estimates were that the borough council needed to be spending at least £3.9 million less each year by 2019/20.
Like householders, the council has seen many of its costs, such as fuel and energy, rise far ahead of inflation. Income and the value of its investments has also fallen.
For more information on the budget proposals and the public consultation go to www.dorsetforyou.com/weymouthandportlandbudget
In the past the borough council has been able to protect services through efficiencies and partnership working despite a 28 per cent cut to government funding over the past two years.
The “shared services partnership” between West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council has saved £2 million a year. A joint workforce now delivers services for both councils.
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