As Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for finance, I want to invite you to help shape our budget for 2026/27.
Each year, the council faces difficult choices about how to spend public money – funding used for everything from keeping our roads safe to providing support for vulnerable children and adults who rely on social care.
These services touch thousands of lives across the county, every single day.
We know times are tough for many, and the same is true for councils across the country. Demand for our services keeps growing, while costs continue to rise. Yet again, we face hard choices about how to make limited resources stretch further. That’s why your input matters.
Our 2026/27 budget consultation is now open, and it takes just a few minutes to complete. Please visit www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Budget2026-27 to share your thoughts.
The consultation explains how the council manages its finances, the cost-saving measures already in place and the different ways we can generate additional income to support essential services.
We want to know:
- What council services have you used in the past year?
- To what extent would you support a rise in Council Tax?
- What should we prioritise when setting the budget?
These are simple questions, but they go to the heart of how we plan for the future.
Looking ahead, Suffolk is preparing for an important change: local government reorganisation. Our preferred model is to have just one council in Suffolk delivering all services countywide. We argue that simpler, more joined-up services would bring long-term savings – which could be reinvested in those services.
However, reorganisation will take time, and it doesn’t change the challenges we face today. For now, we must continue to manage our budget responsibly to keep delivering essential services.
This year, we have budgeted to spend £805 million. While this sounds like a vast sum, of every pound, 77 pence goes directly to adult social care, children’s services and public health – crucial support for some of the county’s most vulnerable people. The remaining 23 pence covers everything else, including fire and rescue, highways, public transport, waste management and the essential infrastructure that keeps the council running.
Many of these services are required by law. We can’t stop maintaining the roads or supporting vulnerable people. But we must keep finding better ways of delivering those services, making sure every pound is used wisely. We’ve worked hard over the years to innovate, make efficiencies and protect front-line services.
In recent times, we’ve also used our financial reserves to help manage unexpected pressures. But our reserves are limited, and once spent, they’re gone.
Alongside careful budget management, we continue to lobby the government for fairer funding that reflects Suffolk’s growing needs. We push for investment that keeps pace with demand and inflation, so we can maintain and improve the services you rely on.
One of the few levers we control locally is Council Tax. Increasing it would provide more money to support the services we deliver. But we recognise the pressure households are under, and that’s why your feedback is so important before any decisions are made.
Every budget decision we take has real-world consequences – for schools, care homes, road safety and environmental projects that improve our quality of life. Without enough funding, some services might need to be delivered differently. Your views help us understand the impact and set the right priorities.
Whether you use council services every day or only occasionally, we want to hear from you.
All responses will be considered alongside input from local businesses, public sector partners, elected councillors and council officers as we shape the budget for 2026/27.
The consultation is open for six weeks and closes on Tuesday 25 November.
Please share your thoughts today at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Budget2026-27
