County councillors have agreed a £1.18bn budget for the provision of council services in 2025/6 – that will see council tax bills in the county rise by 4.99 per cent.

Social care, children's services, highways, waste disposal and public health are among the services provided by the county council.

And on Tuesday (25 February) a meeting of the county council determined how funds should be allocated.

The proposals – backed at the meeting by the council's Conservative majority – included £527.3m to be allocated to adult care services and £289.2m to children's services.

They included £100.8m be allocated for community protection – which includes the fire service, public health and trading standards.

And £137.7m to be allocated to 'growth and environment', which includes waste disposal.

The agreed budget – also referred to as the Integrated Plan or IP – will also require the council to make £42m of savings.

And it includes a 4.99 percent increase in the county council element of the council tax – equivalent to an extra £84.12 a year for a Band D property. 

Presenting the Conservative budget, executive member for resources and performance Cllr Bob Deering said that the financial climate in which the council operated was getting harder and harder.

He pointed to National Insurance increases that he said would cost the council more than £20m, as well as "the government's decision to deflect some funding to other parts of the country".

But nevertheless he said the budget would maintain the council's record of delivering a balanced budget, continuous transformation and increased efficiency and maintaining frontline services for residents.

And it would, he said, deliver £128m of additional investment "to protect, maintain and improve the services that we provide to the residents of Hertfordshire".

"This budget builds on our continuous solid financial management over the years," he said.

"It will make a real difference and improve the quality of life for many of our residents, in particular those who are the most vulnerable in our community.

"This budget will deliver increased investment across the board."

At the meeting the budget was backed by the council's Conservative majority, but the Liberal Democrat and Labour groups had proposed alternatives to the Conservative proposals.

The Liberal Democrat amendment had suggested an extra £1m a year for the council's SEND team – in order to reduce case loads and to increase the number of Education Health and Care Plans "completed on time and to an acceptable level".

It had also suggested an extra £263k to avoid the need to consider a reduction in hours and the introduction of a booking system for the council's household waste recycling centres.

And it had proposed an additional £300k for drainage maintenance, as well as £200k to expand the HertsLynx service.

Savings proposed in the Lib Dem amendment had included a reduction in the communication teams budget of £400k and a move to bring forward a 'review of fees and charges and third party spend', that it suggests would save £500k.

Presenting the proposals Liberal Democrat Cllr Tim Williams said that local government finances are "in dire straits" – suggesting that despite demands on council services "rising considerably", councils were still not being "funded correctly".

He told the meeting that the Liberal Democrat amendments gave a clear direction and difference from the Conservative Budget.

And he said: "We'll create a fairer, greener, healthier and better Hertfordshire with extra monies for schools and young people, to create a sustainable Hertfordshire, to improve roads and travel and to support local communities."

Meanwhile the Labour group proposals included £47k for the council to look at the feasibility of delivering an 'in house' adult care service, an additional £200k to support domestic abuse services and an additional £250k for the SEND team.

It also included a £1m in order to trial a change in the council's response to potholes – reducing the depth that would trigger a repair from 50mm to 40mm.

And proposing the amendments, Labour Cllr Ian Albert said the Conservative council had "failed residents on potholes, special educational needs, adult care, the environment and so much more".

And he suggested that should there be a new administration after the May elections, there would need to be a fundamental look at different ways of spending taxpayer money "smartly and effectively".

Cllr Albert also commented on the budget setting process, which he said had been "a missed opportunity to look critically at how the council spends its money.

"We regard his IP [budget] as a missed opportunity to look critically at how we spend our money. We simply wouldn't start from here.

"Scrutiny meetings sometimes less than half an hour to discuss huge individual portfolios of work – less than a working day of time to discuss a £1billion pound plus budget.

"Yes, there were panel meetings to discuss in a bit mire detail, but much of this was too late in the day to effect real change.

"This is just no way to run a major authority like Hertfordshire.

"If a change of administration comes in May we need to work differently and more effectively."