Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Finance, Housing and Community (to follow).

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.6 a recorded vote will be held in respect of this item.

The Director of Finance, Housing and Community gave a presentation to the Council on the Budget 2016/17 and Medium Term Financial Plan 2016/17 – 2019/20.

It was moved by Councillor M D Conolly, and duly seconded, that the recommendations set out in the report incorporating the recommendations of the Cabinet at its meeting held on 29 February 2016, be approved.

An AMENDMENT was moved by Councillor P Walker and duly seconded as followed:

“That the General Fund Revenue Budget, the Capital and Special Projects Programmes, the Housing Revenue Account Budget, the Council Tax Resolution  and  the  content  of  the  MTFP  be approved with the amendment that £58,000, equalling the additional income generated by increasing the Council Tax by an additional 0.97%, be added to line L5601 (Tourism Development) on page 98 of the budget papers to provide staffing support, and that the contribution to reserves (page 63) be reduced accordingly from £450,000 to £392,000.”

Councillor P A Watkins suggested that the Amendment be withdrawn in favour of a commitment from the Cabinet to work with Councillor P Walker to look at other ways of achieving the principle behind his Amendment.

Councillor P Walker with the consent of his seconder agreed to withdraw his Amendment.

RESOLVED:  (a)     That the General Fund Revenue Budget, the Capital and Special Projects programmes, the Housing Revenue Account budget, the Council Tax Resolution and the content of the MTFP be approved.

(b)     That it be noted that it is the view of the Director of Finance, Housing and Community (Section 151 Officer) that the budget has been prepared in an appropriate and prudent manner and that, based upon the information available at the time of producing the report, the 2016/17 estimates are robust and the resources are adequate for the Council’s current spending plans in 2016/17.

(c)     That the various Council recommendations at the end of the sections within the attached budget and MTFP, and summarised in Annex 14 to Appendix 1 of the report, be approved as follows:

(i)         Approve the General Fund Revenue Budget for 2016/17 and the projected outturn for 2015/16.

(ii)        Approve the policies and protocols regarding the General Fund balances and earmarked reserves, and transfers between reserves as set out in Annex 6.

(iii)       Approve the 2015/16 Projected Outturn and the 2016/17 HRA budget at Annex 7 of the report.

(iv)      Delegate to Cabinet the approval of individual projects to be financed by the HIR.

(v)       Approve the Capital and Special Projects programmes.

(vi)      Approve that capital resources required to finance new projects are secured before new projects commence.

(vii)     Approve the Treasury Management Strategy, including the Prudential Indicators and Minimum Revenue Provision statement.

(viii)    Approve the Council Tax Resolution as set out at Annex 10A of the report.

(ix)      That it be noted that, if the formal Council Tax Resolution at Annex 10A of the report is approved, the total Band D Council Tax will be as set out at Annex 14 of the report.

The Team Leader – Democratic Support advised that the vote would have to be a recorded vote in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.6. The manner of voting was as followed:

(Councillor S J Jones declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) in the AMENDMENT by reason of her involvement in a tourism interest and withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of the AMENDMENT.)