The budget is approved at a meeting of Full Council every February. Each year, Council approves the revenue budget for the subsequent financial year, alongside a five-year capital programme (including prudential indicators). These are detailed in the annual budget book.
In recent years, the budget has been set in the context of reductions in central government funding and increased demand for services, particularly social care. The Council has developed an ongoing programme of savings to protect front-line services and help the authority to achieve its priorities as set out in the West Sussex Plan.
The most recent budget book, and those for the last few years, can be found below.
- Budget Book 2023/24 (PDF, 2MB)
- Budget Book 2022/23 (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Budget Book 2021/22 (PDF, 973KB)
- Budget Book 2020/21 (PDF, 282KB)
- Budget Book 2019/20 (PDF, 350KB)
- Budget Book 2018/19 (PDF, 236KB)
- Budget Book 2017/18 (PDF, 288KB)
Discretionary fees and charges are agreed as part of the budget setting process. A complete schedule of discretionary and statutory fees and charges for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years is available below.
Find further information about how the County Council spends its resources, including the annual Council Tax leaflet.