ARGUS readers have responded in their dozens following a plea for suggestions on how to balance the council’s budget.

Our front page story yesterday got you talking with scores taking to the website to put forward their suggestions.

The city is facing a £102 million funding gap and Brighton and Hove City Council needs to find savings to that tune over the next five years.

The monumental task comes after cuts of £70 million have been made over the last four years.

Of the council’s budget, 51% is ring fenced for education, housing benefit and council housing.

The remaining £329million, funded by council tax, business rates, government grants and fees and charges, is spent on social care for adults and children, libraries and transport.

This is where the savings must the found.

Council leaders asked for your suggestions and you responded in your scores.

Argus website user, Seizure, said : “Students should pay council tax. Collect what is owed to the council from those who don't pay their debts more efficiently.

“Divert or re-allocate money away from non-essential areas, such as new road layout schemes. Pay rises for councillors should be capped at 1%. Get rid of Police and Crime Commissioners and ensure that the money goes to frontline staff. That should help a bit for starters.”

Web user Plantpot added: “Market test every single dept. If the existing council service wins, that's great, if the private sector wins that's good too.

“Each plan to include phased savings over the next few years based on how the winner would work if given a clean sheet of paper to transform the existing service.”

Many suggested parking and transport as a way to both save money and raise more for the council coffers.

Jnicho02 said: “Roll out more residents’ parking zones to tax all car owners, using profits to free up money that would have been spent on road improvement schemes.“Sell daytime-only parking permits to business workers so that they can park near their offices whilst commuter cars are away.”

All feedback will be analysed by the council before a draft corporate plan and budget for 2015/16 is published in December. For more information on how to have your say and to complete the council survey visit www.theargus.co.uk.