How the budget is set and monitored

The County Council prepares a budget for each financial year. The process for preparing the detailed budget for 2013/14 is described below

Timetable for the 2013/14 budget

August 2012 – work on reviewing budget pressures and savings options for each service commences.

December 2012 – provisional budget guidelines for 2013/14 confirmed following announcement of the provisional 2013/14 local government finance settlement.

January 2013 - services put forward their budgets within the guidelines set by the Cabinet.

February 2013 - Cabinet recommends a budget and council tax for 2013/14 to the County Council. The County Council approves the budget and sets the council tax.

March 2013 - services allocate their budgets to their services. The budget book is published.

April 2013 - financial year starts.

April to December 2013 - Finance Managers closely monitor spending and prepare regular monitoring reports for service executive members and for the Cabinet.

January 2014 - revised budgets are approved.

January to March 2014 - revised budget continues to be closely monitored.

March 2014 - financial year ends.

May 2014 - final accounts are prepared.

June 2014 - final accounts approved.

June 2014 - Statement of Accounts approved.

August 2014 - District Auditor audits accounts.

September 2014 - Statement of Accounts is published.

If you have any questions about the content of any of these pages please contact the Corporate Services Department