YOUR DISTRICT, YOU DECIDE!

Time is running out for local people to give their views on how the council should be spending its money for the next year.

Your district. you decide is the name of Thanet District Council's budget consultation, which was launched at the beginning of December and ends on Friday 15 January.

In the 2010/11 budget, the council will need to find £1.8 million worth of savings. To help it decide how best to do this, local people are being asked to prioritise a number of services that the council is not legally required to provide. This includes events, benefits advice, sports facilities, the Port of Ramsgate, tourism, supporting the voluntary and community sector, parks and open spaces, economic development and regeneration and culture and heritage, like the Winter Gardens and Theatre Royal. Residents are also being asked to list the three most important council services to them.

The survey goes on to ask people for their views on how savings could be made, with a number of ideas put forward, to see how strongly people support each of them. They can also put forward any suggestions they have for saving money.

Last year's budget consultation led to extra resources being put into waste collection and street cleaning, as local people said these were their top priorities. People thought savings should be made by re-organising staff and sharing services with other councils, so the senior management structure was reduced, with a staff vacancy freeze imposed.

Plans are also being considered to share services with Canterbury, Dover and Shepway councils, with housing, waste and services such as IT, building control and revenues and benefits all being discussed. This could lead to savings of up to £3 million over the next five years.

Cllr. Martin Wise, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said: "It's really important that local people give us their views on our budget plans and where they want to see their money being spent. It's important to remember that we're all facing a tough time at the moment, with everyone having to tighten their belts. Local government is no different. We have to make savings like the rest of the country, but the difference is that people pay for those services through their Council Tax. That's why it's vital that local people give us their views on how they want to see savings being made and which services matter most to them."

Survey questionnaires are online at the council website at www.thanet.gov.uk, or you can pick up a questionnaire from Thanet's Gateway Plus or local libraries. You can also get a copy by calling 01843 577120 or e-mailing hannah.thorpe@thanet.gov.uk