Agenda item

report of the Finance Community Of Practice Lead

A report was considered that updated Members on the revenue budget position for the year 2016/17.  In introducing the report, the Leader informed that it would be his intention to propose that the Council should increase Council Tax by £5 and he set out the resulting impact on Band D properties of this proposal.  To enable the debate, the recommendations were then moved by Cllr P R Sanders and seconded by Cllr R E Baldwin.

In the subsequent discussion, reference was made to the additional funds received however it was noted that rather than being an extra amount received this was in fact a smaller reduction in government grant.  Members also expressed thanks to local MPs for their support and for working together to make a difference.

In accordance with statutory legislation, two recorded votes were then called for.  The first recorded vote was called for on part 1 only of the recommendation, with the second recorded vote being called for on parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the recommendation.

The voting on part 1 of the recommendation (i.e. that Council Tax should be increased by £5) was recorded as follows:-

For the motion (25):                                     Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Benson, Cheadle, Cloke, Davies, Edmonds, Evans, Hockridge, Jory, Kimber, Leech, McInnes, Moody, Mott, Moyse, Musgrave, Oxborough, Parker, Roberts, Sampson, Sanders, Sellis, Sheldon and Yelland

Against the motion (0):       

Abstentions (0):                   

Absent (6):                             Cllrs W G Cann OBE, Pearce, Ridgers, Samuel, Stephens and Watts

and the vote was therefore declared CARRIED.

The voting on parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the recommendation was recorded as follows:-

For the motion (25):             Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Benson, Cheadle, Cloke, Davies, Edmonds, Evans, Hockridge, Jory, Kimber,  Leech, McInnes, Moody, Mott, Moyse, Musgrave, Oxborough, Parker, Roberts, Sampson, Sanders, Sellis, Sheldon and Yelland

Against the motion (0):       

Abstentions (0):                   

Absent (6):                             Cllrs W G Cann OBE, Pearce, Ridgers, Samuel, Stephens and Watts

and the vote was therefore declared CARRIED.

It was consequently  ”RESOLVED that:

(i)            Council Tax is increased by £5

(which equates to a Band D council tax of £213.39 for 2016/17, an increase of £5 per year or 10 pence per week). This equates to a Council Tax requirement of £4,210,912 (as shown in Appendix B1))

(ii)        The financial pressures in Appendix A of £836,000 are accepted

(iii)       The proposed savings of £845,000 set out in Appendix A are

            adopted

(iv)       The Collection Fund surplus of £280,000 be agreed

(v)        £1,000,000 of New Homes Bonus funding is used to balance the  2016-17 Revenue Budget.

(vi)   The Budget Surplus for 2016/17 of £669,292 is transferred to an Earmarked Reserve, with a future report to be presented to Council regarding its use.

(vii)     The Total Net Expenditure of the Council for 2016/17 is £7,253,325 (Appendix B1)

(viii)    The 2016/17 Capital Programme projects totalling £651,000 as per 8.1 is approved.

(ix)      The 2016/17 Capital Programme of £651,000 is financed by using £412,000 of New Homes Bonus funding and £239,000 of Better Care Funding (as per 8.1).

(x)       The Council transfers £24,136 of its allocation of New Homes Bonus for 2016/17 to an Earmarked Reserve called ‘Community Investment Fund – Dartmoor National Park’, to be applied for and drawn down by Dartmoor National Park as required. This amount is a one-off payment and the position will be considered annually by the Council as part of the budget process. The condition is that this is for use within the boundaries of the Borough Council only.

(xi)      The Council Tax Support Grant of £77,509 be passed onto Town and Parish Councils for 2016/17. (This is a reduction of 11.2% from 2015/16) as per Appendix D.

(xii)     The minimum level of the Unearmarked Revenue Reserves be   maintained at £750,000 as per Section 9.

(xiii)    The level of reserves as set out within this report and the

assessment of their adequacy and the robustness of budget estimates be noted. This is a requirement of Part 2 of the Local Government Act 2003.