Issue - meetings

Budget 2019/20

 

 

Meeting: 06/03/2019 - Council (Item 66)

66 Budget 2019/20 - KEY DECISION (Minute EXB 92 refers) pdf icon 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

Meeting: 21/02/2019 - Executive Board (Item 92)

92 Budget 2019/20 - KEY DECISION pdf icon 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%.