Council budgets

The Budget Book provides information about how much the council plans to spend on services, such as education, social services, environmental services, leisure, planning and housing.

It provides details of how much is spent on improving or replacing assets such as buildings, roads, vehicles and equipment used by services (capital) over the next few years.

Budgets are set in February or March. The process of setting and monitoring budgets ensures that resources are used for their intended purposes. Monitoring actual spending against budgets enables over and under spending to be identified and possible changes in resource requirements to be highlighted.

• Dorset County Council - budget books

  The budget book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• Christchurch Borough Council - budget books

  The Budget Book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• East Dorset District Council - budget books

  The Budget Book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• North Dorset District Council - budget books

  The Budget Book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• Purbeck District Council - budget books

  The Budget Book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• West Dorset District Council - budget books

  The Budget Book provides more detail about the cost of council services and what makes up the revenue and capital budgets.

• Weymouth and Portland Borough Council - budget books

  Each year the council must set the budget which achieves the right balance between service levels and minimising the council tax rise. This is a difficult challenge especially as some of the council's costs rise at a much greater rate than inflation.