Agenda item

CM 58/21

Consideration was given to a report that presented the Hub Committee draft recommendations on the Revenue and Capital Budget for 2022-23

In the ensuing debate, reference was made to:-

(a)    the proposal to increase Council Tax.  In light of the significant rising costs of living that were being faced by residents, some Members stated that they could not vote in favour of any proposal to increase Council Tax.  Whilst sympathetic to this viewpoint, other Members highlighted the compounding implications to the Base Budget that would be brought about through freezing Council Tax that would hamper the Council’s financial sustainability in future years;

(b)    the proportion of total Council Tax that was actually the Borough Council precept (11% of the overall bill).  In echoing the comments made by the Hub Committee, a Member felt that, as the collecting authority, there were a number of public misconceptions over the Borough Council precept.  As a result, it was felt that there was a need for the Communications Team to produce and publish messaging at the time of annual billing in an attempt to counter these misconceptions.

At the conclusion of the debate and, in accordance with statutory legislation, the Mayor then called for a recorded vote on the recommendation.  The vote was subsequently recorded as follows:-

For the motion (22):      Cllrs Blackman, Bolton, Bridgewater, Cheadle, Crozier, Davies, Edmonds, Ewings, Heyworth, Jory, Kemp, Kimber, Leech, Mott, Moyse, Pearce, Ridgers, Samuel, Southcott, Spettigue, Vachon and Yelland

Against the motion (4): Cllrs Daniel, Moody, Renders and Wood                

Abstentions (0):                                             

Absent (4):                    Cllr Ball, Coulson, Ratcliffe and Sellis

and the vote on the recommendation was therefore declared CARRIED and it was therefore “RESOLVED that the Council:

1.      set an increase in Council Tax for 2022/23 of £5 (Band D of £246.63 for 2022/23 – an increase of less than 10 pence per week or £5 per year – equates to a 2.07% increase). (This equates to a Council Tax Requirement of £5,102,220);

2.      approve the financial pressures (as shown in Appendix A of the published agenda report) that amount to £689,000;

3.      approve the net contributions to Earmarked Reserves of £209,350 (as shown in Appendix A of the published agenda report), including the proposed use of £75,000 from the Business Rates Retention Earmarked Reserve as set out in section 3.21 of the published agenda report;

4.      approve the proposed transfer of £162,850 into a Financial Stability Earmarked Reserve in 2022/23, to be available for any future financial pressures from future local government funding reforms and any other budget pressures;

5.      approve the proposed use of £150,000 of New Homes Bonus funding to fund the 2022/23 Revenue Base Budget as set out in section 3.30 of the published agenda report;

6.      approve the proposed transfer of £172,084 of the New Homes Bonus grant allocation for 2022/23 to an Affordable Housing Earmarked Reserve as a one-of contribution for 2022/23 (as set out in sections 3.30 to 3.31 of the published agenda report);

7.      approve the savings of £221,000 as shown in Appendix A of the published agenda report;

8.      note the Total Net Expenditure of the Council for 2022/23 is £7,769,695 (as shown in Appendix B of the published agenda report);

9.      approve the Capital Programme Proposals for 2022/23 of £835,000 and the proposed financing of the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix D of the published agenda report);

10.   note that Unearmarked Reserves should continue to have a minimum level of £900,000 (as set in the Medium Term Financial Strategy in September 2021), but an operating level of a minimum of £1.25million;

11.   note the level of reserves as set out within the presented agenda report and the assessment of their adequacy and the robustness of budget estimates.  (NB. This is a requirement of Part 2 of the Local Government Act 2003); and

12.   note that the Borough Council will continue to be part of the Business Rates Pool for 2022/23 (as per Section 3.23 of the published agenda report).”