Decision details

To recommend a budget for Full Council to consider at its meeting on 22 February 2016. 

1.1.       Agree an overall 3.99% increase in the Council’s element of council tax for 2016/17 with 2% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 1.99% general increase.

1.2.       Agree that if the 2% adult social care precept in the Council’s element of council tax is rejected, Adult Social Care expenditure will be cut by £1.9m in 2016/17 from the levels proposed in this paper.

1.3.       Agree the General Fund revenue budget for 2016/17, as summarised in Appendix B.

1.4.       Agree the cost pressures and savings detailed in Appendix D and dedicated schools’ grant as set out in section six.

1.5.       Agree the revisions set out in paragraphs 6.3, 6.4 and 6.5 to the savings originally proposed in the budget set in the 2015/16 budget.

1.6.       Agree the revision set out in paragraphs 6.6 to remove saving MGF02 from the 2017/18 and 2018/19 budget proposals.

1.7.       Note the Chief Finance Officer's assessment of risks as set out in Appendix E.

1.8.       Note the report from the Budget Scrutiny Panel in Appendix F

1.9.       Note the results of consultation as set out in section 9

1.10.    Agree the budgets for central items as detailed in Appendix G.

1.11.    Agree the capital programme as set out in Appendix J.

1.12.    Agree the Treasury Management Strategy and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2016/17 set out in Appendix K.

1.13.    Agree the Prudential Indicators measuring affordability, capital spending, external debt and treasury management set out in Appendix L

1.14.    Note the advice of the Chief Legal Officer as set out in Appendix M

1.15.    Agree the categorisation of Earmarked Reserves and Provisions set out in Appendix N

1.16.    Agree the schedules of fees and charges set out at Appendix Q

For Council

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.

1.17.    In relation to the council tax for 2016/17 we resolve:

            That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:

(a) £1,025,870,075   being the aggregate of the amount that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.

(b) £927,580,000      being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)  £98,290,075       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.

 (d)  £1,101.24           being the amount at (c) above, divided by the amount for the taxbase of 89,254, agreed by the General Purposes Committee on the 25^th Jan 2016, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(e)       Valuation Bands

being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at (d) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

1.18.    That it be noted that for the year 2016/17 the proposed Greater London Authority precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, in respect of the Greater London Authority, for each of the categories of dwellings are as shown below:

1.19.    That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at paragraph 2.15(e) and 2.16, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of council tax for the year 2016/17 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

That it be noted that the Chief Finance Officer has determined that the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2016/17 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Act 1992.

(a)       That the Chief Finance Officer be and is hereby authorised to give due notice of the said council tax in the manner provided by Section 38(2) of the 1992 Act.

(b)       That the Chief Finance Officer be and is hereby authorised when necessary to apply for a summons against any council tax payer or non-domestic ratepayer on whom an account for the said tax or rate and any arrears has been duly served and who has failed to pay the amounts due to take all subsequent necessary action to recover them promptly.

(c)        That the Chief Finance Officer be and is hereby authorised to collect revenues and distribute monies from the Collection Fund and is authorised to borrow or to lend money in accordance with the regulations to the maximum benefit of each fund.

1.20.    That in the event that the GLA sets a different council tax precept to that set out in this report (which was the published provisional amount at the date of despatch) that authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer to vary the amounts at 2.20, but only insofar as to reflect the GLA decision, and to make consequential, but no other, amendments to the amounts at 2.21.