Agenda item

(Finance, Qualis Client and Economic Development Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report.

Notes

That a recorded vote is held on the recommendations contained within the report, in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule V3 ‘Voting at Budget Decision Council 18 February 2016 Meetings’ which directs Members to comply with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting there must be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of that meeting the names of the persons who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting.

“Budget decision” means a meeting at which:

(a)        a calculation is made (whether originally or by way of substitute) in accordance with any of the Sections 31A, 31B, 34 to 36A, 42A, 42B, 45 to 49, 52ZF, 52ZJ of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended; or

(b)        a precept is issued under Chapter 4 of Part 1 of that Act and includes a meeting where making the calculation or issuing the precept as the case may be was included as an item of business on the agenda for that meeting.

References to a vote are references to a vote not only on the substantive budget motions agreeing the budget, setting council taxes or issuing precepts, but also on any amendments proposed at the meeting.

Mover: Councillor J Philip, Finance, Qualis Client and Economic Development Portfolio Holder

Councillor J Philip presented a report of the Budget for 2022/23 (including Medium-Term Financial Plan, Capital Programme and Fees and Charges). He thanked Mr A Small, Strategic Director and S151 Officer and Mr C Hartgrove, Interim Chief Financial Officer for an excellent budget and for their sound financial advice. He also thanked members of the Audit and Governance Committee.

There voted for the recommendations (40) namely: Councillors  R Balcombe, R Bassett, N Bedford, P Bhanot, R Brookes, L Burrows, D Dorrell, I Hadley, S Heap, S Heather, B Jennings, J Jennings, J Jogia, S Jones, H Kane, S Kane, P Keska, J Lea, A Lion, T Matthews, C McCredie, J McIvor, R Morgan, S Murray, S Neville, C Nweke, M Owen, A Patel, J Philip, S Rackham, B Rolfe, M Sartin, J Share-Bernia, D Stocker, D Sunger, B Vaz, C Whitbread, H Whitbread, and K Williamson.

There voted against the recommendations (2) namely: Councillors J H Whitehouse and J M Whitehouse.

Abstentions (0).

Report as first moved ADOPTED

            RESOLVED:

(1)     That the draft General Fund Revenue and Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2022/23 as presented in Attachment 1a, be approved (pages 91-112 of the agenda).

(2)     That the draft General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital programmes for 2022/23 to 2026/27 presented in Attachment 1b, be approved (pages 113-124 of the agenda).

(3)     That the proposed Fees and Charges for 2022/23, including an average rent increase of 4.1% on Council Dwellings, presented in Attachment 1c, be approved (pages 125-141 of the agenda).

(4)     That the updated General Fund Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2022/23 to 2026/27 presented in Attachment 1d, be approved (pages 143-150 of the agenda).

(5)     That the Section 151 Officer’s report – in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 – on the robustness of the estimates for the purposes of the Council’s 2022/23 budgets and the adequacy of the reserves, presented in Attachment 2, be noted (pages 151-156 of the agenda).

(6)     That the Section 151 Officer’s recommendation to maintain a minimum £4.0 million contingency balance in the Council’s General Fund Reserve in the medium-term, including a contribution to the Reserve as part of the General Fund revenue budget proposals for 2022/23, be approved.

(7)     That the Treasury Management Outturn report 2020/21 considered by the Audit & Governance Committee on 22nd November 2021, presented in Attachment 3, be noted (pages 157-173 of the agenda).

(8)     That the Treasury Management Mid-Year Update report 2021/22 considered by the Audit & Governance Committee on 22nd November 2021, presented in Attachment 4, be noted (pages 175-186 of the agenda).

(9)     That the draft Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23 considered by the Audit & Governance Committee on 17th January 2022 and recommended for Council approval, presented in Attachments 5a, be approved (pages 191-205 of the agenda).

(10)  That the draft Capital Strategy 2022/23 to 2026/27, considered by the Audit & Governance Committee on 17th January 2022, presented in Attachment 6, be approved (pages 207-229 of the agenda); and

(11)  That the Constitution Working Group be asked to consider whether the Audit & Governance Committee’s terms of reference should be formally expanded to incorporate responsibility for considering, and recommending for approval, the Council’s Capital Strategy.