*
O&S 81
Members were presented with a report that
asked for consideration of the draft Budget proposals for 2019-20
and onwards.
The Leader of Council introduced the report
and specifically highlighted the updates to the Budget position
since the Hub Committee meeting had considered the matter at its
meeting on 4 December 2018 (Minute HC *49 refers).
In
the ensuing debate, particular reference was made to:-
(a)
confirmation that the monies allocated from the Better Care Fund
were sufficient to finance Disabled Facilities Grants;
(b)
income from investments in Commercial
Property. In response to a question,
officers advised that the proposed £120,000 Year 4 (2022/23)
income could consist of a combination of potential commercial
development in the Borough and property acquisitions outside of
West Devon;
(c)
delivery of rural services. The Leader informed that the Rural Services
Network and Local Government Association continued to rigorously
lobby Central Government to point out the distinct differences
between rural and urban service delivery;
(d)
the waste collection service. The Section 151 Officer confirmed that trials
would be needed to inform the level of savings achievable from a
three weekly waste collection and a report would be presented to
the Hub Committee by the end of June 2019;
(e)
the future Budget gap. Whilst the Council was facing severe challenges to
fill its Budget gap, Members made reference to a number of the
measures that had already been implemented. These, coupled with some of the future proposals
and the findings of the recent Peer Review, left some Members
confident that the Council would have options and the ability to
close its future Budget gap;
(f)
the proposed Community Grant
reductions. Whilst he would reluctantly
support the recommendation, a Member did express his disappointment
over the proposed grant reductions to some Community
Groups. For clarity, it was confirmed
that there was currently no intention to recommend a reduction in
grant awarded to Citizens’ Advice.
It was then:
RESOLVED
That, as part of the 2019/20 Budget Setting
process, the Hub Committee take into account that the Overview and
Scrutiny Committee support:
1.
the proposed increase in Council
Tax for 2019/20 of 2.99% (Band D of £231.63 for 2019/20
– an increase of 13 pence per week or £6.72 per
year);
2.
the proposed financial pressures
of £420,000 (as shown in Appendix A of the presented agenda
report);
3.
the proposed contributions to
Earmarked Reserves of £120,000 and transfer of the one-off
2019/20 Budget Surplus of £73,135 into the Future Financial
Stability Earmarked Reserve to assist in meeting the predicted
Budget gap of £504,242 in 2020/21;
4.
the proposed savings of
£684,700 (as shown in Appendix A of the presented agenda
report);
5.
the proposed use of
£375,000 of New Homes Bonus funding to fund the 2019/20
Revenue Budget (as set out in Section 4.6 of the presented agenda
report); and
6.
the recommendations of the Financial Stability
Review Group on Earmarked Reserves (as set out in paragraphs 10.2
and 10.3 of the presented agenda report) and agree that these
should be recommended in the final Budget Proposals report for
2019/20 (to be presented to the Council meeting on 12 February
2019).