Issue - meetings

[To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resources and Culture. Report of the Chief Operating Officer.] This report sets out the latest position in respect of the Council’s finances with the aim of finalising the budget proposals from Cabinet for the 2016/17 year for consideration and approval by the Council on 22^nd February 2016. The report covers proposals in respect of the General Fund revenue account, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), The Dedicated Schools Budget (DSB) and the Capital Programmes for both the General Fund and the HRA.

The Cabinet Member for Resources and Culture introduced the report which set out the latest position in respect of the Council’s Finances with the aim of finalising the budget proposals from Cabinet for the year 2016/17 or consideration and approval by the Council on the 22^nd February 2016.  The budget report had not changed significantly from the last iteration considered at Cabinet on the 19^th January. Following the final finance settlement being received by the Council this week, the budget estimations were unchanged. The Cabinet Member for Resources and Culture highlighted the public consultation results for adding a 2% precept to Council Tax to specifically fund Adult Social Care. The results reflected strong support for this decision and the Cabinet report recommended to Full Council approval of this 2% precept. There were 27% of responders asking for this additional funding to be directed to Day Care Centres. In response to this, the Council recognised the value of the Centres, but as set out in the report, the social care precept did not change the budget pressures in Adult’s Service and therefore the report was proposing that the income from the precept would be directed to support care packages for young people with complex needs, Learning Difficulties and older people.

The Cabinet Member for Resources and Culture drew Cabinet’s attention to the increased tax base and the intention to place this additional funding into a risk reserve. This was also done last year and had helped offset overspend in Adult and Children’s Services.

Councillor Wright, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee was invited the by the Leader to address the meeting and highlight the Scrutiny budget recommendations that were contained at Appendix 6 of the Cabinet report.

Councillor Wright welcomed the proposed acceptance of the Scrutiny recommendations.  He reported that Overview and Scrutiny had noted that the 3 year budget assumptions were holding up and this was a tribute to officer’s good work.

Councillor Wright referred to the Overview and Scrutiny discussion on Day-Care Centres contained at page 32 and the difficulties with the pressures in the Adults budget. He recognised the huge pressures going forward on Adult’s budget.

Overview and Scrutiny recommended maintaining a high level  risk register to monitor the budget situation in Adults Services, keeping adequate levels of reserves and welcomed the £1.7m additional funding for Adult care shown in this report. The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny felt it would be important, in the next budget year, to keep a close eye on all the savings targets and make sure that they were proceeding according to plan. The Scrutiny Panels would also keep this under review, over the coming year, through the budget monitoring reports.

Overview and Scrutiny also agreed it was important for the Council to maximise income from all sources.

In response to Councillor Engert’s question on a revised Capital Strategy coming forward to Cabinet, it was noted that a 10 year Capital Strategy would come forward to Cabinet in June 2016 and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 193