Decision Maker: Cabinet, Council
Decision status: For Determination
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose: to prepare a draft budget and recommend its adoption to Council
Cabinet considered the head of finance’s report on the revenue budget 2016/17 and the capital programme to 2020/21. The report brought together the relevant information for Cabinet to recommend a budget and capital programme to Council on 18 February 2016. Tabled at the meeting was appendix E setting out the prudential indicators for recommendation to Council. All councillors had been invited to a budget briefing earlier in the week.
The Cabinet member for finance recommended Cabinet to forward the budget on to Council for approval. The revenue budget reflected the medium term financial strategy and the impact of the corporate services contract. This council was also managing its financial matters sensibly, while maintaining services and continuing its capital programme. There would be no increase in this council’s element of the council tax in 2016/17. Cabinet concurred with the Cabinet member for finance and suggested that consideration should be given to publicising this council’s financial guardianship.
Cabinet also thanked the officers for their part in continuing to control costs and in preparing the draft budget.
RESOLVED: to agree that the cabinet member for finance, in conjunction with the head of finance, may make minor adjustments to the budget report and the prudential indicators should they prove necessary prior to its submission to Council on 18 February 2016.
RECOMMENDED to Council to:
(a) set the revenue budget for 2016/17 as set out in appendix A.1 to the head of finance’s report to Cabinet on 4 February 2016;
(b) agree that the capital schemes listed in paragraph 39 of the head of finance’s report remain in the capital programme;
(c) approve the capital programme for 2016/17 to 2020/21 as set out in appendix D.1, together with the capital growth bids set out in appendix D.2 of the head of finance’s report;
(d) set the council’s prudential limits as listed in appendix E to the head of finance’s report;
(e) approve the medium term financial plan to 2020/21 as set out in appendix F to the head of finance’s report;
(f) allocate £1,000,000 to fund the Communities Capital Grant Scheme; and
(g) authorise the head of finance, in consultation with the cabinet member for finance, to issue an efficiency statement to government in order to secure a four year settlement, if this is considered to be beneficial to the council.
Report author: William Jacobs
Publication date: 11/02/2016
Date of decision: 04/02/2016
Decided at meeting: 04/02/2016 - Cabinet
Accompanying Documents: