Help us to help you - Islington consults public on 2006/07 budget plans<br><br>Islington Council is asking residents to have their say on how it spends their money.<br>Residents and business owners are asked to respond to a budget consultation questionnaire that is available at www.islington.gov.uk <br><br>The council is encouraging as many residents to take part as possible, so that the responses accurately represent local views. The council will take the results into account when it decides spending plans for 2006/07. <br><br>Steve Hitchins, leader of Islington Council, said: <br><br>“We have a strong commitment to listening to the views of everyone who lives here and uses our services, so that we can make sure the council meets people’s needs.<br><br>“We are asking individuals, families and businesses to help us take the difficult decisions that face every council, as well as highlighting which services they value above others.<br><br>“The feedback we receive will help us spend our funds wisely, provide value for money and keep council tax levels down.”<br><br>A prize draw for £150 in gift vouchers is open to everyone who completes and returns the questionnaire by 5 December.<br><br>The budget consultation questionnaire, which takes only a few minutes to fill out and send off to the freepost address supplied. <br><br>Residents are asked to put different council services in order of priority and asked to choose between improved levels of services and higher council tax, or for services to be maintained at current levels, with a lower council tax increase.<br><br>The questionnaire is available as a leaflet at the borough’s libraries, leisure centres and other public buildings, and will be delivered with the next edition of the residents’ magazine - 'Islington'.<br><br>This year, the council is aiming to get the widest possible range of opinions from residents, businesses and stakeholders. For the first time, a questionnaire for businesses is available at www.islington.gov.uk. The council will also consult young people to gauge their views, using a specially designed boardgame.<br><br>The results will be backed up by phone interviews with a demographically balanced sample of residents, conducted by an independent market research company. <br><br>The results of this year’s consultation will be published in ‘Islington’ magazine and on the council’s website before the budget is set in February 2006. <br><br>How residents’ views helped shape the 2006-07 budget will be reported in the budget booklet sent to all council tax payers in April 2006. <br><br>Last year, residents said their top three priorities were cleaner streets, more education and learning opportunities and better recycling facilities.<br><br>As a direct result, the council:<br><br>· put in an extra £2.1m to improve waste management services and provide increasingly people-friendly streets<br>· invested £7m to further raise achievement in Islington schools and<br>· spent £0.7m on extending recycling initiatives across the borough<br>Most residents in recent years have told us they would like council tax increases kept low. <br><br>The council listened and has made a public commitment to keep Islington's council tax below the average for London. <br><br>Islington is now one of the ten London boroughs with the lowest council tax - out of 32. <br><br>Notes to editors:<br><br>For further information and copies of the questionnaire please contact Kate Barlow, Islington Council Communications, on 020 7527 3438. <br>The questionnaire will appear in the Islington Gazette on 27 October. <br>We have commissioned an independent market research company, ORC, to carry out aspects of this research to maintain objectivity and independence. <br>The Executive will consider these views before finalising the budget for 2006/07.<br>Budget facts <br>The greatest proportion of our annual budget is spent on education services (about 50%)<br>q This year’s total net budget is just under £317m - £15m more than the previous year. The increase includes £7m extra on schools, £2.2m more for vulnerable children and older people, and £2.1m extra on waste management and our people-friendly streets initiative.<br>q Our capital projects for 2005-06 – which involve things like land, buildings and equipment - is more than £172m. This includes nearly £102m on our decent homes programme and £36m on providing new and improved schools.<br>q We are an efficient council. In 2005-06 we identified more than £4m of administrative and efficiency savings to divert to frontline services.<br>[ends]
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009