Issue - meetings

Budget 2014/15

 

 

Meeting: 05/03/2014 - Council (Item 84)

84 Budget 2014/15 (Minute EXB 145 refers) pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Executive Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on the Budget 2014/15.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council adopt the resolution as set out in Appendix A of the report, which included setting the budget at £108.234m, the Council Tax requirement of £37.101m (before Parish, Police and Fire precepts) and the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,181.56.

 

 

 

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 2014/15. Since then the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner had set their budgets and council tax precepts and these had been included in the report to full Council.

 

          The report included detail on the following:-

 

·       Medium Term Financial Strategy;

·       Budget Consultation

·       Review of the 2013/14 Budget;

·       2014/15 Budget;

·       the Local Government Finance Settlement;

·       Budget Outlook;

·       Halton’s Council Tax;

·       Parish Precepts;

·       Average Council Tax;

·       Police Precept;

·       Fire Precept;

·       Total Council Tax;

·       Capital Programme;

·       Prudential Code; and

·       School Budgets.

 

The Executive Board had recommended that Council adopt the resolution set out in Appendix A of the report, which included setting the budget at £108.243m and the Band D Council Tax for Halton (before Parish, Police and Fire precepts) of £1,181.56.

 

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.

 

The Mayor advised that, following the introduction of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, there was now a requirement for Councils to adopt the practice of recorded votes on matters relating to budget setting, and that each Members’ vote be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Therefore, it was

 

RESOLVED: That a recorded vote be taken.

 

The following Councillors voted for the motion:

 

Councillors Baker, D Cargill, E Cargill, Cassidy, Cole, Dennett, Edge, Fry, Gerrard, Harris, P Hignett, R Hignett, S Hill, V Hill, Howard, Jones, Lea, M Lloyd Jones, P Lloyd Jones, C Loftus, K Loftus, Logan, A Lowe, J Lowe, Macmanus, A McInerney, T McInerney, Nelson, Osborne, Parker, Philbin, C Plumpton Walsh, N Plumpton Walsh, Polhill, Ratcliffe, Roberts, Rowe, Sinnott, G Stockton, J Stockton, Thompson, Wainwright, Wallace, Wharton, Woolfall, Wright and Zygadllo.

 

There were no votes against the motion  and no abstentions.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

1)    the policies outlined in the report be adopted, including the Budget for 2014/15, the savings set out in Appendix B and the Capital Programme set out in Appendix F;

 

2) it be noted that at the meeting on 11th December 2013 the Council agreed the following:

 

(a)      The Council Tax Base 2014/15 for the whole Council area is 31,400 (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

643

Daresbury

150

Moore

316

Preston Brook

319

Halebank

494

Sandymoor

950

 

          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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84

Meeting: 06/02/2014 - Executive Board (Item 145)

145 Draft Budget 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 90 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 2014/15.

 

It was noted that, at the time of writing the report, the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Cheshire Fire Authority had not set their budgets and Council Tax precepts. However final figures would be reported to Council when the information was available.

 

The Government announced the Final Local Government Finance Settlement figure for 2014/15 on 5 February 2014, which was in line with the Provisional Settlement announced on 18 December 2013, as detailed in the revised report.

 

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. Budget presentations had taken place at six of the Area Forums to date and details of the comments made were tabled at the meeting. One Area Forum had still to meet and any comments arising would be reported to Council on 5th March 2014. In addition, individual consultations would take place in respect of specific budget reductions and equality impact assessments would be completed where necessary.

 

The Board was advised that the Medium Term Financial Strategy, approved on 21 November 2013, had identified a funding gap of around £15m in 2014/15, £17m in 2015/16 and £14m in 2016/17. The Strategy had the following objectives:

 

·       Deliver a balanced and sustainable budget;

·       Prioritise spending towards the Council’s five priority areas;

·       Avoid excessive Council Tax rises;

·       Achieve significant cashable efficiency gains;

·       Protect front line services as far as possible; and

·       Deliver improved procurement.

 

          On 10 December 2013, the Council approved initial budget savings of £6.537m, and the new proposed savings were shown at Appendix B. The Departmental analysis of the budget was shown in 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 £108.234m.

 

The Board was advised that the proposed budget incorporated the grant figures announced in the Final Grant Settlement, and included £673,000 for the New Homes Bonus Grant, payable to local authorities based on the net increase in the number of homes in their area. The grant was payable at this amount for six years.

 

It was noted that from 1 April 2013, the Local Government funding regime changed significantly with the introduction of the Business Rates Retention Scheme, as outlined in the report.

 

Further information was provided in respect of the budget outlook, although it was difficult to forecast resources over the following two years given the uncertainties caused by the current economic climate and the Government’s continuing austerity measures. The Medium Term Financial Forecast had been updated and was attached at Appendix E. It was noted that the resultant funding gap over the next two years was forecast to be in the region of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 145