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County Councillor Richard Jackson, Finance Committee Chairman

As Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Finance Committee, I’ve spent most of January putting the final touches to our Budget proposal for 2022/23; now that is has been published, I think you’ll find it is a fair budget with a modest increase in council tax, so we can tackle the pressing priorities in Nottinghamshire.

We propose to raise council tax by 1% and for the Adult Social Care precept to be implemented at 3%. If our Budget is approved by councillors, most Nottinghamshire households will see their council tax bill go up by just 86p per week.

Over the last five years, we have managed finances at County Hall well. As result we have been able to keep this year’s council tax increase to a minimum. There was an option on the table to raise council tax by 2%, but we didn’t go down this route because we understand the cost-of-living pressures currently facing families across Nottinghamshire.

As a council, we’ve made sound and stable financial decisions over the last few years, despite the financial challenges and pressures we have faced, and because of this the Budget we have proposed for 2022/23 is balanced – I am confident we can continue to deliver a balanced budget every year for the next three years.

I want to assure residents that the extra revenue raised from council tax will be spent sensibly and on projects which will improve day-to-day life for people in Nottinghamshire, as well as their quality of life.

Following our Highways Review, we’ve listened to Nottinghamshire residents and as a result the Budget proposes to spend £12m over the next four years to improve the state of our roads - a top concern of residents across the county.

This significant financial injection into our critical infrastructure is vital to our long-term prosperity as it will lead to improved economic growth for the whole of Nottinghamshire, as well as better job opportunities for young and old.

The Adult Social Care precept will fund continued care for some of Nottinghamshire’s most vulnerable adults, with demand for the service having increased significantly over the last 18 months because of the pandemic.

Many people who are reliant our Adult and Social Care service are our friends, relatives and loved ones and it is incumbent on us to make sure they get the highest quality care possible. 

I’d also like to assure our residents worried about looming cost-of-living pressures that there is help available through grants and funding schemes. More information is available at our website - www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/financialsupport

The final stage for signing off our 2022/2023 Budget will be Full Council on Thursday 24 February. If approved, the council will have delivered a balanced Budget for the people of Nottinghamshire for the coming year.