The Borough Council of Kings Lynn & West Norfolk contacted Knox D’Arcy because, like many Councils, they were struggling to balance much needed structural reform and efficiency savings with the need to maintain first class services.
Following the election of a new administation the Council set about implementing their manifesto pleadge to cap Council Tax increases at or below the level of inflation. This was also at a time when the Council found itself running at a deficit and it became clear that external help would be required to deliver the level of improvement needed to balance the books.
In just a few weeks Knox D’Arcy delivered a road-map for the Council which identified, in a highly factual and evidentially backed way, the scale of savings available and more importantly how to achieve them. The results were astonishing and by following the road map the Council made national headlines when it announced a cut in its Council tax. The only Council able to do so.
following our recent success in reducing our Council tax levy by 3% in 2006/07, the only talk on the doorstep during campaigning this year has been of how pleased people are that they finally have an administration which has relieved the tax burden. This has particularly been the case for the large number of people on fixed incomes.
Four years ago this was a Labour controlled authority yet in the May 2007 elections we were able to gain an additional 15 seats to give us 52 of the 62 seats and I have little doubt that a major factor in that turnaround has been our successful fiscal policy.”
He continued,
many Councils have approached us and asked how we have managed this and a key element in our ability to introduce the cost savings necessary was our work with Knox D’Arcy. They are a specialist consultancy with a difference - like us, they do what they say will do! Their Survey of our organisation proved to a sceptical group of Members and Officers that the necessary quantum of improvements was achievable. They also convinced us that the identified savings were practical and showed us in detail how to access them. I have no doubt that without their plans we would not have been able to deliver the level of improvements that we did. Their approach is actually well defined by the Gershon Report.”