Agenda item
Draft Prioritising Resources to Deliver Better Outcomes – 2020/21 to 2024/25
- Meeting of Cabinet, Thursday, 16th January, 2020 2.00 pm (Item 692.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 692.
- View the background to item 692.
Report of Executive Director (Finance and Resources) attached
Minutes:
The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director (Finance and Resources) presenting the draft General Fund Revenue Budget for 2020/21.
Resolved:-
1. That the draft Financial Sustainability Strategy (Appendix 1 to the submitted report) be endorsed.
2. That the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy (Appendix 2 to the report) and the resulting Medium Term Financial Forecast and Earmarked Reserves Balances up to 2024/25 (Annexes 1 and 2 to Appendix 2 to the report), be endorsed.
3. That the Section 151 Officer’s report on the robustness of the proposed budget, the adequacy of the Council’s reserves and the Reserves Strategy (Appendix 3 to the report), be noted.
4. That the appropriation of the sums to earmarked reserves totalling £3.37 million (Appendix 4 to the report), be endorsed.
5. That the appropriation of the sums from earmarked reserves totalling £8.972 million (Appendix 4 to the report), be endorsed;
6. That General Fund net revenue budget for 2020/21 of £130.428M (Appendix 5a to the report) and any required commencement of consultation, statutory or otherwise, be endorsed.
7. That a Council Tax increase of 3.99% for the Southend-on-Sea element of the Council Tax for 2020/21, being 1.99% for general use and 2% for Adult Social care (Paragraph 10.10 of the report), be endorsed.
8. That it be noted that the 2020/21 revenue budget has been prepared on the basis of using £2 million from the Collection Fund for the core budget to allow for a smoothing of the budget gap across the next three financial years (Paragraph 10.9 of the report).
9. That it be noted that the position of the Council’s preceptors is to be determined:
• Essex Police – no indication of Council Tax position;
• Essex Fire & Rescue Services – no indication of Council Tax position; and
• Leigh-on-Sea Town Council – proposed precept increase ranging from 4.72% to 8.30%.
10. That no Special Expenses be charged other than the Leigh-on-Sea Town Council precept for 2020/21.
11. That the proposed General Fund on-going budget investment and reprioritisation of £5.355M (Appendix 6 to the report), be endorsed.
12. That the one-off investment items, as set out in paragraph 10.8 of the report and included within the appropriations (Appendix 7 to the report), be endorsed.
13. That the schools budget and its relevant distribution as recommended by the Education Board (Appendix 8 to the report), be endorsed.
14. That the Capital Investment Strategy for 2020/21 to 2024/25 (Appendix 9 to the submitted report) and the Capital Investment Policy (Annex 1 to Appendix 9 to the report), be endorsed.
15. That the new schemes and additions to the Capital Investment Programme for the period 2020/21 to 2024/25 totalling £28.4M for the General Fund and £18.7M for the Housing Revenue Account (Appendix 10, to the report), be endorsed.
16. That the schemes subject to viable business cases for the period 2020/21 to 22/23 (Appendix 10 to the report), be endorsed.
17. That the proposed changes to the current Capital Investment Programme (Appendix 11, to the report), be endorsed.
18. That the proposed Capital Investment Programme for 2020/21 to 2024/25 (Appendix 12 to the report) be approved and it be noted that the changes to the approved programme will result in a proposed Capital Investment Programme of £204.8M for 2020/21 to 2024/25 (Appendix 12 to the report) of which £51.3M is supported by external funding.
19. That the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy for 2020/21 (Appendix 13 to the report) and the prudential indicators (Appendix 14 to the report), be endorsed.
20. That the operational boundary and authorised limits for borrowing for 2020/21 are set at £375M and £385M respectively (Appendix 14 to the report).
Reason for Decision
To comply with statutory requirements and the relevant Local Authority codes of practice. Also, to ensure the budgets align to and enable the delivery of the Council’s ambition and desired outcomes or to enhance the Council’s infrastructure.
Other Options
Billing authorities are required by law to complete and approve their budget and set a council tax before 11 March immediately prior to the start of the financial year on 1 April.
Note: This is an Executive Function save that approval of the final budget following Cabinet on 11th February 2020 is a Council Function
Referred direct to all three scrutiny committees
Cabinet Member: Cllr Gilbert
Supporting documents:
- Resource budget report - 2020-21 to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 955 KB
- Appendix 1 - Financial Sustainability Strategy, item 692. PDF 2 MB
- Appendix 2 - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-21 to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 877 KB
- Annex 1 to Appendix 2 - MTFF to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 20 KB
- Annex 2 to Appendix 2 - Earmarked Reserves to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 17 KB
- Appendix 3 - S151 Statement 2020-21, item 692. PDF 139 KB
- Appendix 4 - Appropriations to and from GF Earmarked Reserves, item 692. PDF 71 KB
- Appendix 5a - General Fund Budget Sumary, item 692. PDF 14 KB
- Appendix 5b - Portfolio Objective Summary, item 692. PDF 90 KB
- Appendix 5c - Portfolio Subjective Summary, item 692. PDF 63 KB
- Appendix 6 Revenue Investment and Reprioritisation, item 692. PDF 238 KB
- Appendix 7 Planned Use of Reserves, item 692. PDF 204 KB
- Appendix 8 Dedicated Schools Grant 202021 Budget planning, item 692. PDF 207 KB
- Appendix 9 - Capital Investment Strategy 2020-21 to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 188 KB
- Appendix 9 Annex 1 - Capital Investment Policy, item 692. PDF 77 KB
- Appendix 10 - Proposed capital investment - 20-21 to 24-25, item 692. PDF 451 KB
- Appendix 11 - Requested Changes to Approved Capital Programme, item 692. PDF 140 KB
- Appendix 12 - Amended Capital Investment Programme 2020-21 to 2024-25, item 692. PDF 233 KB
- Appendix 13 - Minumum Revenue Provision Policy 2012_2021, item 692. PDF 58 KB
- Appendix 14 - Prudential Indicators 2020-21, item 692. PDF 165 KB
- Appendix 15 - Equality Analysis, item 692. PDF 109 KB