Mayor Woodley column: how your council tax funds vital services

Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley's column in the February 2024 edition of Love Hackney:

THIS month’s column comes at an important time for the Council. We’ve just approved our budget for 2024/25, committing to continue to invest in the more than 800 essential services our residents need.

My first budget as Mayor has come in hugely difficult financial circumstances. The long-term lack of Government investment in local services, and the inflationary pressures we all face, mean our money doesn’t go as far as it did back in 2010. That’s due to higher costs, a growing population and increasing demand.

But while you may have heard stories in the news about councils across the UK effectively facing bankruptcy, in Hackney we remain in a stable financial position. 

That’s why I was determined to present an ambitious budget that not only balances the books but continues to invest in our borough. For example, over the next 12 months we will invest £4.7m in our award-winning employment and lifelong learning programmes, over £12m on tackling antisocial behaviour and supporting young people out of violent crime, and over £10m on youth and early help services for families – including our four youth hubs and six adventure playgrounds.

We will also commit £55m in capital investments in the next year to help us realise our net zero ambitions. This is all while spending £93m on adult social care – one of the biggest investments of the Council – as well as £85m across our children’s services, including Hackney education. More information about our plans, and the difference they will make to our communities, are on pages 4-7.

The lack of Government investment, and the way councils are funded, has meant we have had to increase the Council’s element of your Council Tax bill by just under five per cent.

During a cost of living crisis that’s a hard decision to make, which is why we’ve only done so while increasing the discount available to low-income households to 90 per cent and doubling Council Tax for owners of homes that are left empty.

While the Council Tax increase adds around £1 a week to the average bill, it provides an extra £5m to fund vital services that people rely on. Your contributions fund foster carers, pay for the ever-growing cost of supporting older and disabled people in our borough, and put a roof over the heads of families hit hardest by Hackney’s housing crisis.

Even then, we will still need to find over £50m in further savings over the next three years. But protecting our frontline services – and Hackney’s most vulnerable residents – will always be my number one priority.

And as this edition of Love Hackney shows, our financial stability means we can keep working together for a better Hackney, despite the challenges we face.