Agenda item - Budget 2019/20

Agenda item

Budget 2019/20

Report of the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance, Resources and Commercial Services

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance, Resources and Commercial Services presented a report setting out proposals for the 2019/20 budget.

 

Councillor Andrew Rule proposed an amendment to the budget as follows:

 

In recommendation 2.1(1) add after “the revenue budget for 2019/20”

 

“subject to the following:-

 

Section 1    Net 2019/20

£

 

Proceeds from the sale of shares in wholly owned companies  -3,000,000

 

Ring-fence resources for the following areas:  +1,500,000

·  Children’s Services – Early Years Intervention

o  Expansion to Team Around School Pilot in South of City

o  Expansion to Edge of Care Hub

o  Expansion to Multi Systemic Therapy Programme

o  Expansion to PAUSE programme

·  Adults Services – Early Intervention  +1,500,000

o  Enhanced provision of the following areas:

§  Increasing support for Community Care in the

Voluntary Sector via Community Grants

§  Increasing Social Care Prevention Provision

§  Promoting Independent Living Through Connections

in the Community

o  Additional provision

§  Creation of Mental Health Reablement Pathway

 

Income from Solar Panel Investment Scheme   -37,500

Reinvested in Energy Improvement Initiatives  +37,500

 

Fleet Sponsorship of Council Vehicles  -70,000

 

Lamp post commercial advertising  -81,000

 

Increased charges for Pest Control  -92,600

 

Reduction in the number of Special Responsibility Positions   -86,190

 

Voluntary Garden Waste – offer citizens a two month extension service to  -202,610

the current garden waste collection scheme for £8.50

 

Reduction in payments to Trade Unions   -66,280

 

Abandon Arrow communication and cancellation of Neighbourhood  -162,000

Newsletters

 

Bulky Waste – citizens offered two free collections per annum, charges  -172,330

of £15 apply for further collections to fund council tax reductions for all

citizens

 

Release uncommitted Area Capital reserves (one off)   -182,270

 

Total Net Financial Impact  -1,115,280

 

Section 2

 

It is recommended that reviews of the following areas be undertaken:

·  Review of impact on the City Council in the event the Tram Operator fails

·  Review of parking and traffic enforcement exemptions – NHS City Care Staff, Council employed carers, first responders and on duty emergency personnel

·  Assessment of inefficiencies arising from Internal Charging within City Council

·  Urgent review of parking charges on economy of City Centre

·  Review of corporate governance in Council owned companies

·  Area Capital allocation formula

·  Develop a strategy for increasing the mix of affordable homes as a means of increasing the City Council’s Council Tax Base

·  Identify and pursue commercialisation opportunities with other local authorities”

 

In recommendation 2.1 (2) add after “the capital programme to 2023/24”

 

“subject to the following:-

 

That a new scheme is added for Solar Panel Investment Scheme (£1.500m in 2019/20 to be funded from borrowing)”

 

It is recommended that a review of the existing capital programme be undertaken to:

·  Reprioritise resources to create additional funds to improve pavements.  Councillors who use Area Capital Fund to improve pavements on main thoroughfares could seek match funding from this fund.

·  Reprioritise to fund repairs to roads across the City”

 

And amend the following recommendations as indicated:

·  In recommendation 2.1 (3) substitute £114,986,071 for £116,101,351;

·  In recommendation 2.1 (3) (a) substitute £954,424,103 for £954,675,713;

·  In recommendation 2.1 (3) (b) substitute £839,483,032 for £838,574,362;

·  In recommendation 2.1 (3) (c) substitute £114,986,071 for £116,101,351;

·  In recommendation 2.1 (4) substitute £1,722.22 for £1,738.93

 

And amend the following sections as indicated:

·  In section 5.2 substitute £114,986,071 for £116,101,351 and £1,722.22 for £1,738.93

·  In section 5.3 and 5.6 substitute the following basic amounts of council tax for the ones shown in the report:

 

Band

Basic amount of council tax

A

£1,148.15

B

£1,339.50

C

£1,530.86

D

£1,722.22

E

£2,104.94

F

£2,487.65

G

£2,870.37

H

£3,444.44

 

·  In section 5.6 substitute the following aggregate council taxes for those shown in the report:

 

Band

Aggregate

A

£1,347.57

B

£1,572.16

C

£1,796.75

D

£2,021.35

E

£2,470.54

F

£2,919.73

G

£3,368.92

H

£4,042.70

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15pm to allow time for councillors to consider the proposed amendment.  The meeting resumed at 4:30pm.

 

 

Councillors voted on the proposed amendment.

 

RESOLVED to reject the proposed amendment.

 

Councillors voted on the recommendations in the budget report as follows:

 

 

For

Against

Abstained

Councillor Liaqat Ali

P

 

 

Councillor Jim Armstrong

 

P

 

Councillor Cat Arnold

P

 

 

Councillor Leslie Ayoola

 

 

 

Councillor Ilyaz Aziz

P

 

 

Councillor Cheryl Barnard

P

 

 

Councillor Steve Battlement

P

 

 

Councillor Merlita Bryan

 

 

 

Councillor Eunice Campbell-Clark

P

 

 

Councillor Graham Chapman

P

 

 

Councillor Azad Choudhry

P

 

 

Councillor Jon Collins

P

 

 

Councillor Josh Cook

P

 

 

Councillor Mike Edwards

P

 

 

Councillor Chris Gibson

P

 

 

Councillor Brian Grocock

P

 

 

Councillor John Hartshorne

P

 

 

Councillor Rosemary Healy

 

 

 

Councillor Nicola Heaton

P

 

 

Councillor Patience Ifediora

P

 

 

Councillor Corall Jenkins

 

 

 

Councillor Glyn Jenkins

P

 

 

Councillor Sue Johnson

 

 

 

Councillor Carole Jones

P

 

 

Councillor Gul Khan

P

 

 

Councillor Neghat Khan

P

 

 

Councillor Ginny Klein

P

 

 

Councillor Dave Liversidge

P

 

 

Councillor Sally Longford

 

 

 

Councillor Carole McCulloch

P

 

 

Councillor Nick McDonald

 

 

 

Councillor David Mellen

P

 

 

Councillor Jackie Morris

P

 

 

Councillor Toby Neal

P

 

 

Councillor Brian Parbutt

P

 

 

Councillor Anne Peach

P

 

 

Councillor Sarah Piper

P

 

 

Councillor Georgia Power

 

 

 

Councillor Nick Raine

P

 

 

Councillor Andrew Rule

 

P

 

Councillor Mohammed Saghir

 

 

 

Councillor Dave Smith

P

 

 

Councillor Wendy Smith

P

 

 

Councillor Roger Steel

 

P

 

Councillor Chris Tansley

 

 

 

Councillor David Trimble

P

 

 

Councillor Jane Urquhart

P

 

 

Councillor Marcia Watson

P

 

 

Councillor Sam Webster

P

 

 

Councillor Adele Williams

P

 

 

Councillor Malcolm Wood

P

 

 

Councillor Linda Woodings

P

 

 

Councillor Cate Woodward

 

 

 

Councillor Steve Young

P

 

 

 

RESOLVED to:

 

(1)  approve the revenue budget for 2019/20 including:

 

i)  the recommendations of the Strategic Director of Finance/ Chief Finance Officer in respect of the robustness of the estimates made for the purpose of the budget calculations and the adequacy of reserves;

 

ii)  the delegation of authority to the Strategic Director of Finance/ Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Deputy Leader to finalise the Medium Term Finance Plan for publication;

 

iii)  the delegation of authority to the appropriate Directors to implement savings after undertaking the appropriate consultation;

 

iv)  the retention of the Council Tax Support Scheme, currently in operation, for the financial year 2019/20;

 

(2)  approve the capital programme to 2023/24;

 

(3)  approve a council tax requirement of £116,101,351 including the calculations required by Sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (“the Act”), as set out below:

 

i)  £954,675,713 being the aggregate of the expenditure, allowances, reserves and amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) (a) to (f) of the Act;

 

ii)  £838,574,362 being the aggregate of the income and amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (a) to (d) of the Act;

 

iii)  £116,101,351 being the amount by which the aggregate at (3)i exceeds the aggregate at (3)ii, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year;

 

 

(4)  approve a City Council Band D basic amount of council tax for 2019/20 of £1,738.93 being the amount at (3)iii divided by the amount at (9), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year (as set out in section 5 of the report);

 

(5)  approve the setting of the amounts of council tax for 2019/20 at the levels described in section 5.6 of the report;

 

(6)  approve the making of the Members’ Allowances Schemes for 2019/20 in the terms of the previously adopted and amended Scheme, save for adjustments to mirror nationally determined rates for pay awards and travel and subsistence (as applicable to officers) and for carers allowances;

 

(7)  note a Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority precept at Band D for 2019/20 of £79.80;

 

(8)  note a Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner precept at Band D for 2019/20 of £219.33;

 

(9)  note in January 2019, the City Council calculated the amount of 66,766 as its council tax base for the year 2019/20 in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012.

 

 

Supporting documents: