The last ever County Council budget is a ‘budget for the future’ says council leader

LEADER of Somerset County Council, cllr David Fothergill, has praised the team responsible for producing “the most positive budget in my time as leader”. 

The county council’s share of Council Tax is proposed to rise by three percent, which includes a one percent rise under the social care precept.  For a home rated Band D for Council Tax, this is equivalent to a rise of 78p a week. 

Speaking at a full council meeting recently as the 2022/23 council budget was approved, cllr Fothergill said, “While other councils are dipping into reserves to fund day-to-day spending – in fact more than dipping in some cases – Somerset County Council has produced a balanced budget and is actually boosting reserves – helping to build solid foundations for the new unitary Somerset Council.” 

Cllr Fothergill also highlighted substantial investment in supporting the county’s most vulnerable residents, with a rise of 13% in investment for both adult social care and children’s services. 

“There is an irony that the last ever budget for Somerset County Council is a budget that looks so strongly into the future,” cllr Fothergill concluded. 

Highlights of the 2022/23 budget include:

• An extra £18million investment in adult social care (a 13 per cent increase in funding)

• An extra £12million invested in children’s services (also a 13 per cent increase)

• An additional £8.4million identified to invest in schools

• £48million invested in capital projects, including schools and roads

• Major investment in supporting the commitment to create a zero carbon Somerset by 2030, with £7.8million allocated to reduce energy use in council buildings and £1million invested in the electrifying the council fleet and building a charging infrastructure in the county