Since 2010 Milton Keynes Council has had to make over £170m in savings and cuts while dealing with an increase in demand for important services such as adult social care. The Revenue Support Grant received from Government has been reduced by 90% in that time.

Our overall financial position continues be very difficult and we must identify £5m of savings to balance the draft budget. Despite this, we are not proposing any major changes to services.

Budget 2022 proposes:

• A below inflation 3.75% increase in Council Tax (1.99% Council Tax and 1.76% adult social care precept).
• The use of £3m of reserves to cover one-off reductions in income due to Covid-19 and spending pressures.
• Efficiency and productivity savings of £2m.

In addition, it proposed continued investment in support for vulnerable young people and families; extra support for emergency accommodation for homeless families and rough-sleepers; and additional funding for specialist autism and mental health services.

It also includes extra funding to retain weekly general waste collections, boost recycling and roll out wheelie bins across the city in 2023; increased funding to reduce fly-tipping and litter and to tackle rodent issues; money to improve landscaping and the appearance of grid roads; and investment in more gully, drain and flood prevention works to mitigate the impact of climate change.

You can read the full draft budget proposals here.

Purpose

Please send us any feedback on our draft budget proposals by 31 January 2022 either by:

• Emailing us at budget@milton-keynes.gov.uk
• Leaving a comment on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #budgetMK
• Writing to us at Finance, Milton Keynes Council, Civic, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes MK9 3EJ