TAXPAYERS in York are being urged to have their say on where their money should be spent next year.

City of York Council is offering two methods for residents to make their views known over its budget for 2011/12 via a consultation process and an interactive online tool.

About 40 per cent of the authority’s budget is funded from central government, with the rest coming from council tax receipts, and its leaders have admitted difficult decisions will need to be made, particularly in the wake of yesterday’s announcement of individual council financial settlements.

The council is aiming to save £50 million over the next four years and residents are being asked to complete its online survey, YouChoose, which allows them to set indicative, sample or hypothetical budgets for services and which shows them the direct impact their choices would have on local services such as social care, road maintenance, waste collection and libraries, as well as on council tax rates.

The survey is available at youchoose.yougov.com/York or from York’s Explore centre between 10am and 4pm tomorrow.

Residents can also complete the 2011/12 budget consultation through the council’s Your City newsletter, which is delivered to every home in York.

Completed questionnaires should be sent to Budget Consultation 2011/12, City of York Council, Freepost YO368, York, YO1 9GZ, handed in to council offices, libraries and Explore centres, or completed online at york.gov.uk/consultation.

The budget for next year will be set at a meeting of the full authority on February 24.