Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Experience detailing the current MTFS assumptions, seeing approval for consultation on budget proposals and the necessary delegations to enable the proposals to take effect. 

Having complied with paragraph 15 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules.  Cabinet agreed to:

i)  Note the high level forecast for the General Fund for 2018/19 onwards contained in paragraph 9.

ii)  To note and ratify that a Solent Business Rates Retention Pilot bid was submitted to the MHCLG as detailed in paragraph 19.

iii)  Note the pressures which have been included in the forecast which are set out in paragraphs 24 to 42.

iv)  Note the Executive’s initial savings proposals put forward for consultation in Appendices 2 to 6 which amount to £10.45M by 2021/22.

v)  Note that the Executive’s budget proposals for consultation are based on the assumption that they will recommend a Council Tax increase of 2.99% to Full Council as per paragraph 77.

vi)  To note the implications of the savings proposals on the Capital Programme and to approve the additions to the capital programme as detailed in paragraph 88 and give approval to spend.

vii)  Note that the Executive’s initial savings set out in Appendices 2 to 6 propose the deletion of 123.04 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) posts, of which 18.33 FTE are vacant, leaving 104.71 FTE at risk of redundancy or TUPE transfer.

viii)  Note the consultation on the Executive’s draft budget proposals will commence on 24th October 2018 and note the consultation proposals and methodology set out in paragraph 108.

ix)  Note the additional specific consultations on: revising the Adult Social Care Charging policy, closure of two council owned residential care homes, and revising service charges for tenants (Housing Revenue account). These will be carried out under their respective statutory consultation and representation regimes and will commence on 24th October 2018 and run in parallel with the main budget consultation.

x)  Delegate authority to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Experience, to do anything necessary to give effect to the proposals contained in this report.

This report is submitted for consideration as a General Exception under paragraph 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules in Part 4 of the City Council’s Constitution, notice having been given to the Chair of the relevant Scrutiny Panel and the Public.  The matter requires a decision in order to enable full consultation, where relevant, of the proposals set out in this report to ensure that the Council Tax and Budget Setting Process for 2019/20 is concluded within the statutory deadlines.

The production of a financial forecast and an outline timetable are a requirement of the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules.

In addition, it is good practice for the Council to consult with a range of stakeholders on its proposals for developing the budget.  The recommendations in this report have therefore been put forward to allow this process to formally begin.

The proposals presented in this report represent the Executive’s draft budget for 2019/20 and 2020/21, that is being published for consultation.  There are a number of variables and alternative options that could be implemented as part of the budget.  The budget will be set by Full Council in February 2019.