The Progressive Alliance's draft budget is set to be recommended to Council this evening.
The draft budget will be debated by all councillors later this month.
The draft budget includes:
- A provisional £100,000 to fix 10,000 more potholes across Milton Keynes
- Extra spending in a bid to tackle fly-tipping
- Doubling investment on pest control to tackle rats, and working in a cost-efficient partnership with Luton Council’s specialist pest control team
These areas have all been leading topics in local news recently, figures released on 20th January suggested that fly-tipping rates in Milton Keynes are at their lowest in four years.
On Saturday (29/2), MKFM reported the debate between local Conservatives and the Progressive Alliance over how a 'rat issue' is being dealt with.
You can read more about the debate here.
Council Leader Peter Marland said: “I’m proud of this budget. It’s a value for money budget that delivers high-quality essential services well, and puts the people of Milton Keynes first.”
“We listen to our residents and what they want - we’re increasing our funding to repair 10,000 potholes across the city, and delivering extra spending on tackling fly-tipping.”
The Council needs to find £5 million to balance the books, and is facing huge social care demands and soaring inflation rates.
A council tax rise, below inflation, of 3.75%, along with using £3 million of reserves to fund one-off and short-term pressures, and making £2 million in efficiency savings, will help the Council balance the books while delivering good-quality, value for money services for the residents of Milton Keynes.
Labour Councillor Rob Middleton, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “I’m proud to recommend this budget to Council. It was certainly a difficult budget, as councils across the country are facing soaring social care, energy, and inflation costs.
However, the below-inflation council tax rise, combined with our investment in the needs and priorities of our residents, means that this budget delivers for the people of Milton Keynes.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Robin Bradburn, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “This budget invests in what our residents care about - stamping out fly-tipping and litter, maintaining weekly residual waste collections, tackling rats and other pests, supporting economic recovery, fixing more potholes and spending more on highways.”
“The Progressive Alliance is committed to putting people before politics, and delivering essential services well for our residents, and that is exactly what this budget does.”
