26 Jan Budget Survey
You will have seen the press coverage about the financial difficulties that Somerset Council is facing over the next financial year and beyond.
To enable it to balance its books it is asking Town and Parish Councils to take on responsibility for managing and funding some assets and services that it currently delivers but is not required to do so from April 2024 with others to follow in 2025.
The Town Clerk has been in discussion with managers at Somerset Council to discuss the position for Wellington and we now know what is being asked of us both for the financial year 2024/5 and 2025/6. The Town Council is meeting at 7.00pm on 31 January 2024 to set its budget for 2024/5 and in doing so will need to consider what, if any, of the additional responsibilities and costs it wishes to take on. It is important to understand that if the Town Council decides to not accept the transfer of an asset or service or cover the costs of its delivery, it is likely that the asset or service will close or cease to be delivered or, in the case of parks and green spaces next year, we will be charged for their maintenance.
We appreciate that this survey is late in the day but it is only over the last couple of weeks that we have got clarity from Somerset Council about what they are asking us to take on over the next two years and even at this late stage we have not got all of the costs associated with some of the areas affected
The following questions are designed to enable the Town Council to gather the views of the town’s residents about what is important to them in the affected areas.
We will also be holding a Public Forum at 6.00pm on the 31 January 2024 in advance of the Council Meeting at 7.00pm to allow members of the community to raise any points they wish to with the Council. The meeting will be held at the United Reformed Church Hall on Fore Street.
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