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Meeting Details

Meeting Summary
Executive
17 Feb 2014 - 16:00 to 16:05
Scheduled
Flensburg Room
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  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Standard Items
Public Items
A.1 BUDGET 2014/15 - CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AGREED BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON 4 FEBRUARY 2014
(Key Decision)
To consider proposed amendments, as set out below, to the Executive's Budget recommendations for 2014/15 carried at the City Council meeting on 4 February 2014.

In dealing with the matter the Executive can -
(a) Submit a revision to their original proposals (which may be the Council's proposed amendments), together with the Executive's reasons for the amendments, which would then be submitted to the Council for consideration;

(b) Inform the Council of any disagreement that the Executive has with the Council's proposed amendments and the Executive's reasons for any such disagreement.

It will then be a matter for the Council to determine the final budget at its special meeting on 20 February 2014.
The amendments are as follows:
(i)  Council Tax (as proposed by Councillor Dr Tickner)
The Government recently announced that additional funding for previous years Council Tax freezes (2011/12 and 2013/14) is now to be included in the Revenue Support Grant Settlement from 2015/16. This was an eleventh hour U turn by the Government and accordingly the Council did not previously budget for this as the grants were initially on a non-recurring basis. The grant funding previously included in the budget proposals has now been amended to reflect that the Council Tax Freeze Grant is recurring and will be subsumed within RSG. This change now allows the Council to absorb the additional cost of freezing Council Tax for 2014/15 and 2015/16 whilst maintaining adequate revenue reserves.  The proposed budget has been revised and now includes the financial impact of a Council Tax Freeze for 2014/15 and 2015/16.

 

(ii) Council Tax Freeze Grant (as proposed by Councillor J Mallinson)
To accept the Government’s offer of the council tax freeze grant for 2014/15 and 2015/16 of 1% equating to £68,000 per annum as detailed in their letter of 15th January 2014, in conjunction with accepting the recurring nature of previous years council tax freeze grants. This will enable the Council to approve a 0% increase for the Council’s share of Council Tax for 2014/15 and provide an indicative 0% increase for 2015/16. This proposal is to be funded by appropriation to and from Revenue Reserves.
(iii) Members' Allowances (as proposed by Councillor Mrs Luckley)
Members’ allowances are due to increase by 1% in line with the officers pay award for 2014/15. This proposal is to freeze the allowances paid to Members in 2014/15, equating to a total saving of approximately £3,000 per annum, with the saving being used to support staff well-being initiatives e.g. staff healthy living schemes.

The Executive will respond to the Council's proposed amendments and table revised Budget Proposals to recommend to Council on 20 February 2014.

Copies of the following documents are attached to this Agenda:
Pdf (163Kb)
(A) Executive Budget Proposals from the Executive meeting  
      on 15 January 2014 (considered by Council on 4
      February 2014)
 (B) Proposed Amendments / Objections to the Budget 
       Proposals:
Pdf (41Kb)
(1) Proposed Amendments regarding Council Tax; Council
     Tax Freeze Grant; and Members' Allowances including
     the observations of the Director of Resources (from
     Council on 4 February 2014)
Pdf (67Kb)
(2) Summary by the Director of Resources on the cumulative
      effect of the three proposed amendments to the
      Executive Budget Proposals on the budget and reserves
Pdf (33Kb)
(3) Supplementary Report (RD.86/13) by the Director of
      Resources on the proposed amendments







Exempt Items
Members of the Executive

Councillor C W Glover (Leader)

Councillor Mrs E B Martlew (Deputy Leader; and Environment and Transport Portfolio Holder)

Councillor Ms A Quilter (Culture, Health, Leisure and Young People Portfolio Holder)

Councillor Mrs J Riddle (Communities and Housing Portfolio Holder)

Councillor Dr L Tickner (Finance, Governance and Resources Portfolio Holder)

Councillor Mrs H M Bradley (Economy and Enterprise Portfolio Holder)

Enquiries to:
Morag Durham - tel: 817036
Notes to Members:
The Mayor will be asked to dispense with call-in procedures in accordance with Paragraph 15(i) of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, as the matter is due to be considered at a Special Council Meeting on 20 February 2014

Attendance

Attended - Other Members
Name
No other member attendance information has been recorded for the meeting.
Apologies
NameReason for Sending Apology
Councillor Ms Anne Quilter 
Absent
NameReason for Absence
No absentee information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.

Visitors

Also in attendance at the above meeting were:

Town Clerk and Chief Executive
Director of Resources
Director of Local Environment
Assistant Solicitor

Councillors Allison and J Mallinson (Observers)


___ Members of public expressed a desire to address the meeting.