Issue - meetings

The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support submitted a report recommending the revenue budget for 2011/12.

The joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees, in supporting the proposals at their meeting held on 18 January 2011, had made a number of comments for the Executive to consider as follows. 

They had recommended that consideration be given to the addition of a member development officer (1 day a week).  The Executive Member for Community Development, Leisure and Culture welcomed this suggestion as a valuable resource towards achieving accreditation for the Member Development Charter.  The Executive recommended that £5k of the savings already agreed for deleting support for non-statutory meetings be redirected towards this for 2011/12 only.

The Scrutiny Committees had also suggested that support for PCSOs should be continued for a further year.  The Executive supported this on the basis that the Community Safety Review in 2011/12 would consider a more long-term approach.

The Scrutiny Committees had also supported the aim to freeze council tax for a further year after 2011/12.  The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support recommended this suggestion and further advised Members that changes to the formula grant had only been received the day before.  He tabled an amendment to the recommendations and also referred to a summary of an additional consultation meeting that had been held with representatives of the business community.

In response to Members’ questions and comments, the Executive Member indicated that areas where savings had been identified could be reconsidered later, if the impact on service delivery was found to be unacceptable. 

The Executive commended the proposals as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED - that (A) the comments and proposals of the Joint Scrutiny Committees of 18 January 2011, be received;

(B)      the probable outturn for 2010/11 be approved;

(C)      the revenue budget for 2011/12 be approved as now submitted, subject to the following amendments:

                                                                                           £k

PCSOs savings be deleted                                          46

Redirection of part savings from support

for non-statutory meetings to support for

member development                                                  5

to be offset by:

Increased formula grant from £6046k

to £6079k                                                                         -33

Reducing the balancing figure from

£4k to £0k                                                                        -4

Increasing contribution from General

Reserve from £38k to £52k                                          -14

(D)      the medium term financial plan to 2014/15, be approved, subject to the following amendments:

In 2012/13 only                                                                £k

Reduced formula grant from £5315k

to 5306k                                                                            9

to be offset by:

Reducing the planning contingency

from £169k to £161k                                                      -8

Reducing the balancing figure from

£239k to £238k                                                                -1

In each year 2012/13 - 2014/15

Redirection of part savings from support

for non-statutory meetings to support for

member development                                                   5

to be offset by a reduction in the

balancing figure in each year:

2012/13 from £238k to £233k                                       -5

2013/14 from £470k to £465k                                       -5

2014/15 from £702k to £697k                                       -5

(E)      there to be no increase in council tax for 2011/12; and

(F)       in respect of 2012/13, the planning assumption for council tax be amended from a 2.5% increase to nil increase with the consequential adjustments, as now  ...  view the full minutes text for item 535

The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support submitted a report recommending the consolidated budget for 2011/12 and seeking the comments of the Joint Scrutiny Committees.

The budget had been prepared in the light of constraints imposed by the Government.  The Council’s revenue grants had been reduced and savings proposals had been reviewed.  Grants would be further reduced over the next four years.  The Secretary of State had agreed reserves should be called on to offset the first year impact of this reduction.  Interest rates were also expected to remain low reducing the Council’s income from investments.

The Government had set out a plan to pay a grant equal to income from a 2.5% increase in Council Tax to Councils agreeing to freeze their tax.  As a consequence, the budget proposed no increase in Council Tax.

Details of the opening balances for 1 April 2010 were given.  The general and earmarked reserves put the Council in a better position to meet the challenge of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.  The report contained details of reductions in grants and savings which had been agreed.

Councillor J O Ranger asked for provision to be made for a Member Development Officer (1 day a week) and the Committee agreed to suggest this to the Executive.

Councillor M H Goldspink asked that reserves be used to avoid job losses and to reinstate leaf clearance and PCSOs.  Other Members expressed support for continuing to fund PCSOs and the Leader of the Council expressed a wish that this would be possible for one year to allow a wider review of Community Safety to take place during 2011/12.  Both points were supported by Members.  The Leader of the Council also explained that it was hoped reserves could be used to freeze Council Tax for a further year after 2011/12. 

The Committees decided to inform the Executive that the budget should be approved subject to the comments detailed below.

RESOLVED - that the Executive be informed that the Joint Scrutiny Committees consider that  the Consolidated Budget should be approved subject to the following comments:

(A)      an addition of a Member Development Officer (1 day a week) should be considered;

(B)      support for PCSOs should be continued for one year;

(C)      a review of Community Safety be supported;

(D)      the aim to freeze Council Tax for a further year after 2011/12 be supported;

(E)      proposals for savings in support for the Chairman and Museum Service and Sunday and Bank Holiday car park charges should not be implemented; and

(F)       the decision to freeze car park charges from April 2011 be noted.