Issue - meetings
2014/15 Budget and Council Tax
Meeting: 17/02/2014 - Executive (Item 5)
5 2014/15 Budget and Council Tax PDF 198 KB
This report sets out the detail of the budget proposed for 2014/15 and how this has been developed as well as the medium term financial outlook. Members are principally concerned with setting the budget for 2014/15 at this stage, but to do so need to be mindful of the medium term position and of the inherent financial risks in delivering, as Brent does, a complex range of services to its 312,000 residents, spending over £1bn p.a. to achieve this.
Additional documents:
- Appendix 0 List of Appendices, item 5 PDF 40 KB
- Appendix A, item 5 PDF 16 KB
- Appendix B (SA Budget Detail), item 5 PDF 117 KB
- Appendix C(i) - Cost Pressures, item 5 PDF 92 KB
- Appendix C(ii) - (SA Savings), item 5 PDF 110 KB
- Appendix C(iii) - Risk and s25 statement, item 5 PDF 70 KB
- Appendix C(iv) Grants, item 5 PDF 10 KB
- Appendix C(v) One Council, item 5 PDF 210 KB
- Appendix D (Budget & Finance Report), item 5 PDF 187 KB
- Appendix E(i) - Central Items Table, item 5 PDF 14 KB
- Appendix E(ii) - Central Items, item 5 PDF 128 KB
- Appendix F(i) (CTax Property Valuation Bands), item 5 PDF 41 KB
- Appendix F(ii) - Council Tax and NNDR Instalment Dates and Recovery Policy2014-15, item 5 PDF 100 KB
- Appendix G - Equalities Impact Assessment, item 5 PDF 40 KB
- Appendix H (Schools Budget), item 5 PDF 92 KB
- Appendix I(i) HRA, item 5 PDF 56 KB
- Appendix I(ii) - HRA Table, item 5 PDF 24 KB
- Appendix J - Capital Programme Expenditure and Income, item 5 PDF 62 KB
- Appendix K - TM Strategy, item 5 PDF 113 KB
- Appendix L - Prudential Indicators, item 5 PDF 98 KB
- Appendix M - (Legal Advice), item 5 PDF 133 KB
- Appendix N - Earmarked Reserves and Provisions, item 5 PDF 58 KB
Decision:
These recommendations only include a provisional Council Tax level for the GLA as its final budget was not agreed when this report was dispatched. This means that the statutory calculation of the total amount of Council Tax under Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 may be amended by the final Greater London Authority precept.
That subject to the final confirmation of the GLA precept approval be given to the following recommendations for Full Council at its meeting on 3 March 2014:
(i) Agree the General Fund revenue budget for 2014/15, as summarised in Appendix A.
(ii) Agree the Service Area budgets including the cost pressures and savings detailed in Appendices B and C.
(iii) Note the report of the Budget and Finance Overview & Scrutiny Committee in Appendix D.
(iv) Note Appendix E and agree the budgets for central items and other budgets.
(v) Receive the report from the Chief Finance Officer in Appendix C(iii) in respect of his statutory duty under Section 25 of 2003 Local Government Act.
(vi) Agree that there is no increase in the Council’s element of council tax for 2014/15.
(vii) Note and consider the advice of the Director of Legal and Procurement as set out in Appendix M.
(viii) Agree the instalment dates for
council tax and NNDR for 2014/15, and the recovery policy for
council tax as set out in Appendix F(ii).
(ix) That decisions on individual applications for reducing Council Tax payable in accordance with section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer.
(x) Note the Medium Term Financial Outlook in Section 5.
(xi) Agree the School’s Budget set out in Appendix H.
(xii) Agree the Housing Revenue Account budget set out in Appendix I(ii).
(xiii) Agree the 2014/15 to 2016/17 capital programme as set out in Appendix J.
(xiv) Note the levels of unsupported borrowing forecast for 2014/15, based on the borrowing levels agreed by the Council on 28 February 2013.
(xv) Agree the Treasury Management Strategy and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2014/15 set out in Appendix K.
(xvi) Agree the Prudential Indicators set out in this section for affordability, capital spending, external debt and treasury management set out in Appendix L.
(xvii) In relation to the council tax for 2014/15 we resolve:
That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2014/15 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:
(a) £1,059,811,000 being the aggregate of the amount that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.
(b) £975,937,657 being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.
(c) £83,873,343 being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. ... view the full decision text for item 5
Minutes:
Councillor R Moher (Lead Member, Finance and Corporate Resources, Deputy Leader of the Council) introduced the report from the Chief Finance Officer which set out the detail of the budget proposed for 2014/15 and how it had been developed as well as the medium term financial outlook, the planned capital programme for 2016/17 and information on the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools’ Grant. Councillor Moher warned that the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years would be more challenging and drew attention to the dramatic changes that had been introduced by Central Government through which London had fared worst. Councillor Moher was pleased to report that it was proposed not to increase the council element of Council Tax for 2014/15 and drew attention to areas in the report relating to funding sources, savings, associated risks and the overall budget requirement.
Members noted that it was the fifth year in succession that the Council Tax had been frozen. The Chief Finance Officer reminded the Executive that proposals for savings had been in the public domain since last October. He had been speaking to residents through focus groups and area forums and consultation had been widespread and examination extensive. He commended the report for consideration by Full Council on 3 March 2014.
RESOLVED:
Note: These recommendations only include a provisional Council Tax level for the GLA as its final budget was not agreed when this report was dispatched. This means that the statutory calculation of the total amount of Council Tax under Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 may be amended by the final Greater London Authority precept.
That subject to the final confirmation of the GLA precept approval be given to the following recommendations for Full Council at its meeting on 3 March 2014:
(i) agree the General Fund revenue budget for 2014/15, as summarised in Appendix A.
(ii) agree the Service Area budgets including the cost pressures and savings detailed in Appendices B and C.
(iii) note the report of the Budget and Finance Overview & Scrutiny Committee in Appendix D.
(iv) note Appendix E and agree the budgets for central items and other budgets.
(v) receive the report from the Chief Finance Officer in Appendix C(iii) in respect of his statutory duty under Section 25 of 2003 Local Government Act.
(vi) agree that there is no increase in the Council’s element of council tax for 2014/15.
(vii) note and consider the advice of the Director of Legal and Procurement as set out in Appendix M.
(viii) agree the instalment dates
for council tax and NNDR for 2014/15, and the recovery policy for
council tax as set out in Appendix F(ii).
(ix) that decisions on individual applications for reducing Council Tax payable in accordance with section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer.
(x) note the Medium Term Financial Outlook in Section 5.
(xi) agree the School’s Budget set out in Appendix H.
(xii) agree the Housing Revenue Account budget set out ... view the full minutes text for item 5