FINANCE

A review of funding is essential

The repeatedly late publication of the provisional local government finance settlement is deeply unhelpful, and the whole funding system councils operate in is outdated and in urgent need of reform, says Patrick Melia.

The beginning of a new year is often a time for reflection and 2023 is no different.

After yet another year in which the local government finance settlement was published in full the week before Christmas – despite the fact the Government's own advice cautions against such an approach – I have been pondering how we might break this, quite frankly, incredibly unhelpful cycle. It doesn't work for councils and our budget-setting timetables, and it doesn't really work for Government either, compressing complex calculations into short timeframes.

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