Issue - meetings

Report to follow.

Councillor Russell Holland, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Skills, and Education and the Corporate Director of Finance and Assets submitted a joint report updating the position in relation to the 2019-20 forecast budget outturn and the work underway to address the financial challenge in the period to March 2021. In addition, Councillor Holland and the Corporate Director of Finance and Assets stated that the report was to meet the requirement to publish initial proposals for the Budgetary and Policy Framework at least two months before the Framework must be adopted, in accordance with (paragraph 2 (a), Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, part 4 of the Council’s Constitution.

Councillor Holland added that the report set out how Cabinet and officers were working to reduce the current projected overspend to end the financial year in balance. Councillor Holland elaborated on how the Council was responding to changes in the local Council Tax benefit scheme in order to ensure recipients were not adversely affected. In response to Council’s resolution about Fair Tax (7^th November 2019), Councillor Holland drew Cabinet’s attention to the joint report and stated how the Council would retain its current procurement processes.

Resolved:-

1.    That the in-year forecast outturn position for 2019/20 be noted along with the responding management actions that continue to be employed to eliminate the projected yearend overspend;

2.    That the proposed budget and policy framework to address the estimated budget gap of £48m over the four year period to March 2024 be noted;

3.    That it be noted that the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2020/21 has yet to be published and therefore the funding position for that year remains uncertain;

4.    That it be noted that the council tax base for 2020/21 will be 75,878.9;

5.    That the Council’s approach to promoting tax compliance through its procurement process be noted;

6.    That the the virements set out in Appendix 2 to the main report be agreed;

7.    That it be agreed that the Local Council Tax Support (benefits) scheme in 2020/21 be amended in line with the national scheme in that, applicable amounts and non-dependant deductions will be increased and mixed age couples claims, where one of the couple becomes a pensioner, will be processed as a working age couple claim;

8.    That it be agreed that the Local Council Tax Support (benefits) scheme in 2020/21 be amended to clarify the intention that households where children become 18 and have benefited from the disabilities protection under the local scheme, continue to be protected and do not have their support limited to 80% of the Council Tax liability:

9.    That it be agreed that the Council Tax on unfurnished and unoccupied properties in excess of five years be increased from 200% to 300% with effect from 1st April 2020, in accordance with the Rating and Council Tax Act 2018, to encourage their owners to bring them back into use;

10. That it be agreed that the Council’s share of the estimated surplus on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48