Perth & Kinross Council Budget Consultation 2022/23

Overview

Like all councils, we are preparing for very significant financial challenges ahead. Inflation continues to push up prices we pay for supplies such as energy and materials, as well as wages.  The funding we receive has not kept pace with this inflation. There is also more demand on our services than ever before as we work to support a growing older population as well as recover from the global Covid-19 pandemic. 

There are increasing restrictions on the areas where we can make savings. Some of our funding is protected  (only allowed to be spent on certain services)  and some is only available to us if we maintain service levels. 

Why your views matter

To help us make informed decisions, we need to ask what you think about our priorities and how we should make savings as budgets tighten. We also want to know your thoughts on changing council tax, and any ideas you have for helping us to make more money. 

Where does the Council get money from?

Most of our funding comes in the form of a grant from the Scottish Government. Some of this money is protected and can only be spent on specific services.  Some is only given to us if we maintain defined service levels.  Around 70% of our total budget is protected money and so we have little or no influence on how this money is used. 

Almost 20% of our income comes from council tax, and we have one of the highest collection rates of council tax in the country. A further 12.5% comes from non-domestic rates (business rates). The level of non-domestic rates is set by the Scottish Government. We collect the rates on behalf of the Scottish Government and this income is shared between all councils in Scotland. 

Over 20% of our income is from charges, for example charging for skip hire, football pitch hire, or for processing a planning application. 

We also hold some money in reserves – like a savings account. It’s important that we have reserves to cover unexpected costs. They can also generate some money in interest. However, once reserves are spent they can’t be used again. The only way to refill those reserves is by putting money aside in a future budget year.

Give us your views

Please give us your views by completing the following online survey. The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes. You are able to save your response and return later to complete and submit.

What happens next

A summary of responses will be included in the report considered by the Council when agreeing the budget.