Spending and Council Tax

How we fund our services and calculate Council Tax

Finance and spending breakdowns

You can see detailed breakdowns of what we spent money on, contracts and our financial performance in the documents below.

Our budget

Our budget is included in the Annual Plan 2024 to 2025.

Our long-term plans are set out in Everyone's Essex (PDF, 8.54mB).

Previous budgets

Annual Plan 2023 to 2024 (PDF, 13.62MB)

Essex Organisation Plan 2022 to 2023 (PDF, 18.06 MB)

Essex Organisation Plan 2021 to 2022 (PDF, 6.18MB)

Essex Organisation Plan 2020 to 2021 (PDF, 5.46mB)

Essex Organisation Plan 2019 to 2020 (PDF, 1mB)

Essex Organisation Plan 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 1.4mB).

Financial performance

We publish our statement of accounts for the financial year annually.

2023 to 2024 Statement of accounts

Notice of public right to audit
Dates have been set for when the public can request an inspection of the Council and Pension Fund's accounts and supporting records for 2023 to 2024. The public may also question the auditor during this period. Read our Notice of public right to audit (PDF, 20.31 KB)

In line with the requirements of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, we have published an unaudited draft statement of accounts 2023 to 2024 (PDF, 2.34 MB).

We will publish a final set of accounts as soon as the audit is finished, and the Audit Report issued.

Previous years statement of accounts

Statement of accounts 2022 to 2023 (PDF, 2.03 MB)

Statement of accounts 2021 to 2022 (PDF, 7.43 MB)

Statement of accounts 2020 to 2021 (PDF, 3.41MB)

Statement of accounts 2019 to 2020 (PDF, 3.59mB)

Statement of accounts 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 3.3mB)

Statement of accounts 2017 to 2018 (PDF, 3.6mB)

Statement of accounts 2016 to 2017 (PDF, 2.7mB)

Statement of accounts 2015 to 2016 (PDF, 2.7mB)

Statement of accounts 2014 to 2015 (PDF, 2.7mB)

Statement of accounts 2013 to 2014 (PDF, 3.2mB)

Statement of accounts 2012 to 2013 (PDF, 1.8mB)

Statement of accounts 2011 to 2012 (PDF, 1.4mB)

Statement of accounts 2010 to 2011 (PDF, 891kB)

Inspect our accounting records

Our accounts and those of the pension fund are inspected by an external auditor.

Auditor's annual reports

Auditors annual report 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 (PDF, 1.81 MB)

Auditor's annual report 2020 to 2021 (PDF, 6.29 MB)

Annual audit letter 2019 to 2020 (PDF, 469kB)

Annual audit letter 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 984.69kB)

Annual audit letter 2017 to 2018 (PDF, 2mB)

Annual audit letter 2016 to 2017 (PDF, 2mB)

Annual audit letter 2015 to 2016 (PDF, 2mB)

Audit closure certificates

Where the closure certificate is not included within the Independent Auditor's Report within the Statement of accounts for the applicable year, the certificates are shown below:

Audit certificate 2019 to 2020 (PDF, 55kB)

Audit certificate 2018 to 2019 (PDF, 96kB)

Audit certificate 2017 to 2018 (PDF, 1mB)

Audit certificate 2016 to 2017 (PDF, 17kB)

Audit certificate 2015 to 2016 (PDF, 120kB)

Day-to-day spending

We publish all items of spending every 3 months, regardless of value.

October to December 2024 (XLS, 3.24 MB)

July to September 2024 (XLS, 4.63 MB)

April to June 2024 (XLS, 14.75MB)

January to March 2024 (XLS, 15.54 MB)

October to December 2023 (XLS, 4.73 MB)

July to September 2023 (XLS, 15.64 MB)

April to June 2023 (XLS, 4.57 MB)

January to March 2023 (XLS, 5.08MB)

October to December 2022 (XLS, 4.70MB)

July to September 2022 (XLS, 3.88MB

 April to June 2022 (XLS, 4.43mB)

January to March 2022 (XLS, 3.80mB)

October to December 2021 (XLS, 12.65mB)

July to September 2021 (XLS, 11.77mB)

April to June 2021 (XLS, 11.80mB)

January to March 2021 (XLS, 12.53mB)

October to December 2020 (XLS, 11.65mB)

July to September 2020 (XLS, 11.77mB)

April to June 2020 (XLS, 11.95mB)

January to March 2020 (XLS, 12.1mB)

October to December 2019 (XLS, 12.9mB)

July to September 2019 (XLS, 4mB)

April to June 2019 (XLS, 13MB)

January to March 2019 (XLS, 15mB)

October to December 2018 (XLS, 15.3mB)

July to September 2018 (XLS, 15mB)

April to June 2018 (XLS, 12.9mB)

January to March 2018 (XLS, 13.2mB)

October to December 2017 (XLS, 14mB)

July to September 2017 (XLS, 38.5mB)

April to June 2017 (XLS, 13.11mB)

January to March 2017 (XLS, 13mB)

October to December 2016 (XLS, 14mB)

July to September 2016 (XLS, 14mB)

July to August 2016 (XLS, 14mB)

April to June 2016 (XLS, 12mB)

January to March 2016 (XLS, 15mB)

October to December 2015 (XLS, 15mB)

July to September 2015 (XLS, 13mB)

April to June 2015 (XLS, 13mB)

Council contracts

Our contract summaries show the value and duration of all the contracts the council has entered into since April 2015.

Contract and tender summary September 2024 (XLS, 253.86 KB)

Contract and tender summary June 2024 (XLS, 274 KB)

Contract and tender summary March 2024 (XLS, 645.5 KB)

Contract and tender summary November 2023 (XLS, 631KB)

Contract and tender summary September 2023 (XLS, 6215KB)

Contract and tender summary June 2023 (XLS,627.5 KB)

Contract and tender summary April 2023 (XLS, 608.77KB)

Contract and tender summary December 2022 (XLS, 592.38KB)

Contract and tender summary September 2022 (XLS, 618.50kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2022 (XLS, 562.69kB)

Contract and tender summary March 2022 (XLS, 528.90kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2021 (XLS, 469.50kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2021 (XLS, 431.10kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2021 (XLS, 431.10kB)

Contract and tender summary March 2021 (XLS, 395kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2020 (XLS, 378kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2020 (XLS, 333kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2020 (XLS, 342kB)

Contract and tender summary March 2020 (XLS, 289kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2019 (XLS, 328kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2019 (XLS, 327kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2019 (XLS, 313kB)

Contract and tender summary March 2019 (XLS, 255kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2018 (XLS, 500kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2018 (XLS, 200kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2018 (XLS, 200kB)

Contract and tender summary March 2018 (XLS, 200kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2017 (XLS, 170kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2017 (XLS, 170kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2017 (XLS, 150kB)

Contract and tender summary September 2016 (XLS, 120kB)

Contract and tender summary July 2016 (XLS, 120kB)

Contract and tender summary June 2016 (XLS, 200kB)

Contract and tender summary April 2016 (XLS, 120kB)

Contract and tender summary December 2015 (XLS, 30mB)

Contract and tender summary October 2015 (XLS, 150mB)

Contract and tender summary June 2015 (XLS, 100kB)

Contract and tender summary April 2015 (XLS, 100kB)

Pay policy

Our pay policy sets out information about the pay of senior officers at the council, the pay information of the lowest paid employees and the differences in pay between senior officers and other employees.

View our:

Essex Pension Fund

We look after a pension fund for staff employed by all councils in Essex. You can find detailed information about this on the Essex Pension Fund website.

Fees and charges

You can see a list of fees and charges (PDF, 187.45KB) Essex County Council makes for its services.

Payment Performance Data

All contracting authorities are required to publish annual data demonstrating their performance on paying invoices in 30 days to first-tier suppliers and prime contractors over the previous 12 months.

The data shows:

  • the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days
  • the amount of interest paid to suppliers due to late payment

We are also required to publish the total amount of interest that the contracting authority was liable to pay. For example, whether the interest was paid, whether it was statutory, and whether it was due to a breach of the regulations.

Financial Year Proportion of valid and undisputed invoices paid within 30 days in accordance with regulation 113 Interest paid to suppliers due to a breach of the requirement in regulation 113 Interest liable to be paid to suppliers due to a breach of the requirement in regulation 113
2023 to 2024 94.86% £35.84 £538,744.17
2022 to 2023 92.97% £2,746.08 £519,911.76
2021 to 2022 90.18% £0 £557,309.00
2020 to 2021 89.64% £5,779.30 £536,348.01
2019 to 2020 91.70% £496.21 £308,518.14
2018 to 2019 93.70% £1,660.85 £281,307.83
2017 to 2018 89.60% £7,990.81 £469,499.17
2016 to 2017 89.50% £34,373.30 £452,854.00