Agenda item

Report of Director of Finance (copy herewith)

Councillor Mildren submitted a report and proposed the approval of the 2008/09 to 2010/11 General Fund Budgets, Council Tax Level for 2008/09 and Indicative Levels for 2009/10 to 2010/11.  Councillor Perkins seconded the proposal.

Councillor Hadland proposed “That £25,000 be added to voluntary sector support to help them meet the effects of inflation; to be financed from the General Reserves”.  Councillor Palethorpe seconded the amendment.

Upon a requisition for a roll- call there voted for the amendment:

Councillors Caswell, Choudary, Clarke, Davies, Duncan, Edwards, Flavell, Hadland, M Hoare, Lane, Larratt, C Lill, J Lill, Malpas, Palethorpe, Reeve, Scott, Tavener.

There voted against the amendment:

Councillors Beardsworth, Chaudhury, Church, J Conroy, R Conroy, Crake, De Cruz, Garlick, Glynane, Hawkins, B Hoare, I Markham, Matthews, Mildren, Perkins, Simpson, Taylor, P M Varnsverry, P D Varnsverry, Wilson, Woods and Yates.

The Mayor abstained.

The amendment was lost.

RESOLVED:(1) That the feedback from consultation with the public organisations and the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be welcomed as detailed in Annexes A and B of the report.

(2) That the Council’s representations on the provisional formula grant settlement as set out in Annex D of the report be noted.

(3) That the projected 2007/08 outturn position of £346,000 underspend as at the end of January 2008 (be noted).

(4) That the changes to the proposed budget detailed in Annex D of the report in light of the consultation responses and final formula grant settlement be noted.

(5) That the General Fund budget for 2008/09 of £31.6m (an increase of 3.3% or £1m over the 2007/08 budget) be agreed as detailed in Annex E of the report.

(6) That the Council approves the issues and risks detailed in the Section 151 Officer’s statement on the robustness of estimates and the adequacy of reserves as set out in Annex I of the report.

(7) That Council confirms the reserves strategy of protecting balances wherever possible to allow the option of supporting future years’ budgets at a premium for a minimum level of unallocated general fund reserves of £2.75m at the end of 2008/09 having regard to the outcome of the financial risk assessment and increasing this over the medium term to £3m.

(8) That Council Tax be increased by 4.5% for 2008/09 for the Council’s own purposes.

(9) That the draft fees and charges set out in Annex K of the report be noted.