PEOPLE can have their say on council budget proposals at events taking place across Carmarthenshire next week.
Roadshows will be held in Newcastle Emlyn, Llanelli, Ammanford and St Clears as part of the consultation process.
People can go along and speak to officers and councillors about the proposals being put forward as the council tries to balance its books, whilst facing cuts of around £44million over the next three years.
With such a significant reduction in its budget the council is having to look at all options for reducing spend and it is likely that this will affect dozens of services and jobs.
Senior officers have already identified millions of pounds in operational savings, now councillors have to make decisions that could affect the delivery of front line services to find the rest of the money needed.
The process started with a members’ seminar, and all of the Council’s scrutiny committees will discuss the budget at their meetings over the coming months.
Full consultation with the public and with partners is also being carried out, including the roadshows and online consultation at iLocal.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
A number of options have been put forward for consideration from all departments, some proposals will be to discontinue services altogether, others will mean changing the way they are currently provided.
Leader Cllr Kevin Madge said: “There is no doubt it will have a grave effect on the services we deliver, on the people who work for us and on the county as a whole.
“We appreciate that none of the choices we have to make will be popular, but we hope people understand that we have cut back as far as possible in recent years and made every attempt possible not to affect front line services.
“What we are asking now is that the people of Carmarthenshire let us know what their needs and priorities are, through this consultation process, to help inform the tough decisions ahead of us.”
Roadshow information:
- Thursday, December 4. Clock Tower, New Castle Emlyn 10am – 2pm
- Thursday, December 4. St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli 11am – 5.30pm
- Friday, December 5. Outdoor Market, Ammanford 10am – 2pm
- Tuesday December 9. The Gate, St Clears 1.30pm – 6pm
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