At a meeting of full Council held on 22 February 2023, Horsham District Council (HDC) set the Council’s financial and capital budget for the coming financial year, which starts in April.
Despite the significant cost increases from inflation - good financial management and reserves has put the Council in a strong position to invest both now and in the future, including to help vulnerable residents struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and to meet the environmental challenges of the climate emergency.
In the year 2023/24, the Council will be:
- spending £1.15 million to help support residents in need, as a result of the current cost of living crisis;
- setting aside £15 million in an Environment and Infrastructure Reserve to be spent on climate change, helping to reduce the Council’s direct emissions to ensure it becomes carbon neutral by 2030, and key infrastructure replacements;
- carrying out an ambitious £8.5 million capital programme providing infrastructure and facilities for residents.
The Council is budgeting for break-even in 2023/24. The net budget requirement for this year at £13.5 million is £1.2 million higher than in 2022/23, reflecting the significant impact of annual inflationary and salary cost-pressures.
For the year 2023/24 the HDC component of the Council Tax will increase from £162.09 a year by £4.85 (2.99%) to £166.94 a year at Band D.
Against a backdrop of ongoing cost pressures and high levels of uncertainty, the Council continues to deliver on our ambitions for our District, delivering excellent services for residents and providing extra financial support for the more vulnerable in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis. We are pleased we will deliver extra funds to support the vulnerable during these difficult times.
The budget also ensures that we can build upon our great work to reduce our carbon emissions, whilst still being able to invest in a forward-thinking capital investment programme. We have been able to do all this whilst keeping Council Tax low due to many years of good financial management.
