A back-to-basics plan involves the elected Councillors reviewing the services the Council provides. One of the first things the elected Council needs to do is create the 4 Year Council Plan which drives how Council will prioritise the services and their funding over the coming 4 years and beyond.

CORE Services.
Many councils offer the same set of core services.
Things like:
Rubbish Collection, Community Services, Maternal Health, Sports Facilities, Pools, Parks and Gardens, Street Cleaning, Road and Footpath repairs, etc.

Optional Services.
Some Councils offer services like Kinder, Child Care, Aged Care, In Home Aged Care Support, Tourism, etc.
These services vary by Council to Council.

A back-to-basics plan would seek to do a service review which determines:
 

1. Which services Council currently offers

2. What the cost of those services is per head of population

3. What state or federal funding is available if any

4. What services the wider community values in order of ranking

5. What other options there are if Council exits a service

6. Recommendations of any services Council should exit and where the money saved should be reallocated.