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Support #BacktheAsk
Published: 20/11/2018
天涯社区 is calling on residents, businesses and local organisations to support our campaign #BacktheAsk.
The campaign, to be launched at the Council鈥檚 meeting on Tuesday 20 November, is pressing for fair funding for local government and for 天涯社区. The campaign is not a party political campaign and can be backed by anyone who cares about local government and local services.
Every year councils have to set a budget which balances their resources with their spending needs.聽 天涯社区, like all councils, has had reduced funding from governments year on year for a decade.聽 天涯社区, as one of the lowest funded councils per head of population in Wales, is particularly exposed to the effects of austerity.
The ongoing national budget position is not sustainable. Local services are under serious threat. Through a combination of being inventive, making best use of resources, and having great support from our communities in coping with change and taking on more responsibility for providing services for themselves, we in 天涯社区 have been able to get through. 2019/20 might be the year that the budget challenge is just too great for us all.
天涯社区 is facing yet another cut in our Welsh Government grant and has no protection against the costs of inflation, national pay awards and the rapidly increasing demands for services such as social care. We are facing a budget gap of over 拢15m in 2019/20. 聽
Councillor Aaron Shotton, Leader of 天涯社区, said:
鈥淎long with other Welsh local authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association we are calling for Welsh Government to fully recognise the importance of the services that councils provide - such as education and social care. These services聽should be at the heart of the Government鈥檚 priorities. Beyond a financial intervention by Welsh Government, the only remaining options to balance the budget are Council Tax and drawing upon reserves, neither of which are sustainable options.
鈥淚f you #BacktheAsk, you will be helping your council to get its fair share of national funds whilst at the same time helping to defend our schools and care services from continued austerity.鈥�
天涯社区鈥檚 Chief Executive, Colin Everett, said:
鈥淲e have managed to find a further 拢8.5M of budget solutions - if we include a proposed Council Tax rise of 4.5% - but still have another 拢6.7M to find.聽 #BacktheAsk is asking Welsh Government for 拢5.6m more funding for 天涯社区.聽 If they agree, then we can protect local services and keep Council Tax rises down.鈥�
Get involved 鈥� here鈥檚 how:
- Visit the Council鈥檚 website to find more information about how reducing budgets are affecting local services.
- Pledge support for #BacktheAsk by emailing or writing to your local Assembly Members and Members of Parliament asking for fairer funding for all councils.
- Leave messages of support by going to
- Follow our campaign on Twitter @天涯社区CC