Decision details

To consider amendments to the Executive’s 2013/14 budget proposals.

Matter for Decision:

To consider the draft revenue and capital budgets.

 

Decision of the Leader:

 

 

The Leader resolved to:

 

General Fund Revenue Budgets: [Section 4, page 45 of the BSR refers]

 

Budget 2012/13:

 

a)    Approve, with any amendments, the revised budget items shown in Appendix D of the BSR.

 

b)    Approve, with any amendments, the Non Cash-Limit budget items for 2012/13 as shown in Appendix E of the BSR.

 

c)    Approve, with any amendments, the overall revised budget for 2012/13 for the General Fund, as shown in Section 4 [page 45 of the BSR refers] and Appendix G(a) of the BSR, with net spending at £22,536,390.

 

Budget 2013/14:

 

d)    Agree any recommendations for submission to the Executive in respect of:

 

·        Bids to be funded from External or Earmarked Funds as shown in Appendix H of the BSR.

 

·        Non Cash Limit items as shown in Appendix E of the BSR.

 

·        Revenue Savings and Bids as shown in Appendix F of the BSR.

 

·        Priority Policy Fund (PPF) Bids as shown in Appendix I(b) of the BSR – based on the position as outlined in Section 4 [page 45 of the BSR refers].

 

e)    Note the Council Tax taxbase, as set out in Appendix C (a) of the BSR, as calculated and determined by the Director of Resources under delegated authority.

 

f)      Recommend to Council the level of Council Tax for 2013/14 as set out in Section 3, page 44 of the BSR refers.

 

Note that the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel will meet on 7 February 2013 to consider the precept proposed by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Fire Authority will meet on 11 February 2013 and Cambridgeshire County Council will meet on 19 February 2013 to consider the amounts in precepts to be issued to the City Council for the year 2013/14.

 

Treasury Management:

 

g)    Recommend to Council to approve:

 

(i) the Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix P(a) of the BSR and to confirm that the Authorised Limit for external borrowing determined for 2013/14 will be the statutory limit determined under section 3 of the Local Government Act 2003,

 

(ii) to delegate to the Director of Resources, within the borrowing totals for any financial year within (i) above, to effect movement between the separately agreed figures for ‘borrowing’ and ‘other long term liabilities’,

 

(iii) the Treasury Management Annual Borrowing and Investment Strategies set out in Appendices P(b) and P(c) of the BSR , and

 

(iv) the Council’s Counterparty List shown in Appendix P(c), Annex  3 of the BSR. 

 

Other Revenue:

 

h)    Delegate to the Director of Resources authority to finalise changes relating to any corporate and/or departmental restructuring and any reallocation of support service and central costs, in accordance with the CIPFA Service Reporting Code of Practice for Local Authorities (SeRCOP).

 

Capital: [Section 5, page 53 of the BSR refers]

 

Capital & Revenue Projects Plan: [section 5, page 50 of the BSR]

                         

i)       Approve project appraisals that have been referred by Executive Councillors:

 

Other:

To agree inclusion in the Capital & Revenue Projects Plan of any new items and to note any additional funding for revised schemes approved by Executive Councillors:

 

j)       Agree any recommendations to the Executive in respect of the bids outlined in Appendix L of th BSR for approval to include in the Capital Plan, or put on the Hold List, including any additional use of reserves required.

 

k)     Agree the revised Capital & Revenue Projects Plan as set out in Appendix J of the BSR, the Hold list set out in Appendix M of the BSR, and the Funding as set out in Appendix N of the BSR for the General Fund.

 

Note that the Appendices will be updated in subsequent versions to incorporate approved rephasing, new bids and the above recommendations.

 

General Fund Reserves:

 

l)       Note the impact of revenue and capital budget approvals and approve the resulting level of reserves to be used to:

 

(i) support the 2012/13 budget

 

(ii) support the 2013/14 and future years budgets.

 

as set out in Appendix G(c) of the BSR.

 

Reasons for the Decision: As set out in the officer’s report

 

Any alternative options considered and rejected: As set out in the officer’s report

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

The committee received a report from the Director of Resources.

 

In response to member’s questions the Director of Resources confirmed the following:

 

        i.            The £2.26m highlighted in the table on page 71 of BSR is part of the overall position for 2012/13. Due to the delay in the production of the BSR it was possible for managers to more accurately identify savings within their service in the current year, having more timely information available.

      ii.            Successful delivery of the Capital Programme would result in lower deposit levels for future investments. 

 

Councillor Herbert raised concern that the Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee no longer had an opportunity to scrutinise the Medium Term Strategy, and suggested that a more clearly defined financial scrutiny role would be beneficial. It was noted that the Labour Group would welcome input into any future scrutiny or constitutional review in this area.

 

The Scrutiny Committee considered and endorsed the recommendations by 4 votes to 0.

 

The Leader approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted):

Not applicable.