What’s this all about?

Every February, the city council must agree a budget for the following financial year. The 2016/17 budget has already been approved by the ruling executive – made up of senior Conservative and Lib Dem councillors - but on Thursday all 47 members including the opposition Labour, Greens and independents – will debate it.

This year, once again, the money coming in from the Government is falling. The revenue grant – which covers day-to-day spending like roads, bins and social care – is going down by £6.3 million, and the council has to find £6 million to cut from its budget.

(Last year, council tax went up by three per cent, and the council had to save £6.5 million)

What’s the big news?

Well, there’s a council tax increase of 3.7 per cent on the cards – that works out at an extra £55 a year for a Band D house, taking the bill from £1483.39 to £1538.28.

It’s made up of three per cent which must be spent on social care, plus a 0.7 per cent “general” increase.

It will bring the council an extra £2.8 million a year, and once new houses and left over cash from the last two years is taken into account, there will be an extra £5 million in the accounts.

Car parking charges are also set to increase by 10p an hour at most car parks during the daytime - increasing the amount the council makes by an estimated £151,000.

Where are the cuts coming?

All over.

£75,000 is going from prevention work in adult social care, plus £295,000 from assessment and care management.

Other cuts include a debt advice worker at the CAB, £300,000 from York Museum Trust’s annual grant (to be replaced with a one-off investment of £1.5 million), £150,000 over two years from the Healthy Child Service and £100,000 from the York Financial Assistance Scheme which helps people struggling for money.

Overall, the council expects to lose at least 40 jobs as it implements these cuts, and others already agreed for the year ahead.

Anything else?

There’s also the capital budget, which is made up of one-off investments and is funded by loans, and individual grants from the government.

This year’s proposals are worth £36 million over five years, and include £200,000 for mental health projects, £52,000 to put 42 kms of York roads back on gritting routes, and £10 million for road repairs.

York Press:

There’s also £2,350,000 for the city walls and a new library for Haxby, and £800,000 for drains.

And will the parties agree?

No, both Labour and the Greens have set out budget amendments they will try to vote through on Thursday evening. Labour’s includes a 4.99 per cent council tax increase – the highest possible without a local referendum – and the Greens have pushed even further by suggesting people in York should vote on whether to pay an extra 10 per cent in council tax to fund services for vulnerable and older people.

Labour’s other suggestions include stopping cuts to work that is supposed to stop older people needing expensive social care, and cuts to school transport for disabled children. They also want to put money into education and work to close the “attainment gap” between rich and poor children, and to look into a housing development company in a bid provide more affordable homes in York.

But this probably won’t make a difference because in May 2015 the Conservatives and Lib Dems agreed a coalition to run the council, and the 26 of them together can easily outvote the 21 Labour, Green and independent councillors.

Can we have a say?

That’s been controversial this year. Opposition councillors, and some York residents, have complained the council didn’t people in the city what they thought.

Two weeks ago the council executive met to discuss the budget, and heard complaints people in York were sent a questionnaire which did not mention specific budgets, and many received it just days before or even after the deadline for responding.

Council leader David Carr admitted they could have done better.

Can I find out more?

Yes you can! Read our full coverage of the budget plans here, and look out for coverage from the full council meeting on Thursday evening You can also attend the meeting, or watch a live webcast from the council.