66 Budget 2019/20 - KEY DECISION (Minute EXB 92 refers) PDF 161 KB
Executive Board considered the attached report.
RECOMMENDED: That
1) Council adopt the resolution set out in Appendix A attached to the report, which includes setting the budget at £108.621m, the Council Tax requirement of £49.597m (before Parish, Police and Fire and LCR Combined Authority precepts) and the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,419.08; and
2) From 1 April 2019 the level of Empty Homes Premium on dwellings that have been unoccupied for more than 2 years be increased to 100%.
Minutes:
The Executive Board had considered a report setting out a recommendation to Council in respect of the Budget, Capital Programme and Council Tax for 2019/20. Since then Cheshire Fire Authority had set its budget and council tax precept and this had been included in the report to full Council.
The Executive Board had recommended that Council adopt the resolution set out in Appendix A of the report, which included setting the budget at £108,621m, the Council Tax requirement of £49,597m (before Parish, Police, Fire and LCR Combined Authority precepts), and the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,419.08.
Councillor Wharton, Resources Portfolio holder, thanked all the Officers involved for their support in producing this budget and wished to record his thanks to the Members of the Executive Board, the Budget Working Group and the Chairs of the Policy and Performance Boards for their contribution. In addition, he thanked the Leader for his help and support in delivering this budget.
In accordance with Standing Order 16(3), a recorded vote was taken.
The following Members voted FOR the motion:
Councillors Abbott, Baker, M. Bradshaw, J. Bradshaw, D. Cargill, E. Cargill, Carlin, Cassidy, Dennett, Dourley, Fry, Gilligan, Harris, P. Hignett, R. Hignett, S. Hill, V. Hill, Horabin, Howard, Jones, Leck, C. Loftus, K. Loftus, Logan, A. Lowe, J. Lowe, MacManus, McDermott, A. McInerney, T. McInerney, Morley, Nelson, Nolan, Philbin, Polhill, C. Plumpton Walsh, N. Plumpton Walsh, June Roberts, Rowe, Sinnott, G. Stockton, J. Stockton, Teeling, Thompson, Wainwright, Wall, Wallace, Wharton, Whitley, Woolfall, Wright and Zygadllo.
There were no votes against the motion.
There were no abstentions.
RESOLVED: That Council adopt the following resolution:-
1) The policies outlined in this paper be adopted, including the budget and council tax for 2019/20, the savings set out in Appendix B and the Capital Programme set out in Appendix F.
2) That it be noted that at the meeting on 12 December 2018 the Council agreed the following:
(a) the Council Tax Base 2019/20 for the whole Council area is 34,950 (item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the Act); and
(b) for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates, be set out as follows:
Parish |
Tax Base |
|
|
Hale |
660 |
Daresbury |
173 |
Moore |
329 |
Preston
Brook |
359 |
Halebank |
526 |
Sandymoor |
1,216 |
being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which special items relate.
3) Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2019/20 (excluding Parish precepts) is £49,596,846.
4) In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (Sections 31 to 36), the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2019/20 and agreed as follows:
(a) £384,739,650 – being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for ... view the full minutes text for item 66
92 Budget 2019/20 - KEY DECISION PDF 161 KB
Minutes:
The Board considered a
report of the Operational Director, Finance, which outlined a recommendation to
Council in respect of the Budget, Capital Programme and Council Tax for
2019/20.
It
was noted that at the time of writing, the Cheshire Fire Authority had not set
its budget and Council Tax Precept. However, final figures would be reported to
Council when the information was available.
The
Board was advised that the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), approved at
its meeting on 15 November 2018, had identified funding gaps of around £9.8m in
2019/20, £8.2m in 2020/21 and £3.3m in 2021/22. The Strategy had the following objectives:
· Deliver a
balanced and sustainable budget;
· Prioritise spending
towards the Council’s priority areas;
· Avoid excessive
Council Tax rises;
· Achieve
significant cashable efficiency gains;
· Protect essential
front line services and vulnerable members of the community; and
· Deliver improved
procurement.
In terms of consultation,
it was noted that the Council used various methods to listen to the views of
the public and Members’ own experiences through their Ward work was an
important part of that process. Individual consultations had taken place in
respect of specific budget proposals and equality impact assessments would be
completed where necessary.
On 12 December 2018, the Council approved initial
budget savings totalling £4.653m and further proposed savings were shown at
Appendix B. The departmental analysis of the budget was shown at Appendix C and the
major reasons for change from the current budget were outlined for Members’
information in Appendix D. It was noted that the proposed budget total was
£108,621m.
The
Board was advised that the proposed budget incorporated grant figures announced
in the Local Government Grant Settlement, and included £2.381m for the New
Homes Bonus 2019/20 grant and £5.233m for Improved Better Care Funding, paid to
councils for the third year. Also announced in the Government’s 2018 Autumn
Budget, was additional funding for both Adults and Children’s Social Care.
Further
information was provided on the budget outlook, Halton’s
Council Tax, Precepts for Parishes, Police, Fire and Liverpool City Region
Mayor, the Capital Programme, Prudential Code and School Budgets.
Reason(s) for Decision
To seek approval for the Council’s revenue
budget, Capital Programme and Council Tax for 2019/20.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
In arriving at the budget saving proposals
set out in Appendix B, numerous proposals had been considered, some of which
had been deferred pending further information or rejected.
Implementation Date
6 March 2019.
RESOLVED: That
1) Council be recommended to adopt the resolution set out in Appendix A,
which includes setting the budget at £108.621m, the Council Tax requirement of
£49.597m (before Parish, Police, Fire and LCR Combined Authority precepts) and
the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,419.08; and
2) From 1 April 2019 the level of Empty Homes Premium on dwellings that have been unoccupied for more than 2 years be increased to 100%.