Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Resources setting out the General Fund Revenue Budget development for 2013/14 to 2015/16, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 12/13 8853)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member forResources, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  Approve the consultation proposals and methodology set out in Paragraphs 4 to 8 and Appendix 1 of this report and that delegated authority be given to the Senior Manager – Customer and Business Improvement,following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources, to fine tune and implement the consultation proposals and methodology.

(ii)  Note the high level forecast for the General Fund for 2013/14 and the underlying assumptions contained in Appendix 2.

(iii)  Note the Executive’s initial savings proposals put forward for consultation in Appendix 3 which total almost £18.1M

(iv)  Note that the Executive’s initial savings set out in Appendix 3 propose the deletion of 279.34 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) posts, of which 65.66 FTE are vacant, leaving 213.68 FTE at risk of redundancy.

(v)  Approve a one off saving which will be delivered through the Capita contract of £2.8M in 2013/14.  This saving will be achieved through the pre-payment of £17.1M to Capita in 2012/13 allowing them to achieve financing savings, the benefit of which flows through to the Council in 2013/14.

(vi)  Note that the Executive’s budget proposals for consultation are based on the assumption that they will recommend a Council Tax increase of 2.0% to Full Council.

(vii)  Note the Executives proposal to review the local Council Tax discounts in place for households where all residents are persons over 65 years of age (10%) and for special constables (100%), with a view to removing them.

(viii)  Note the proposed changes to Council Tax discounts and exemptions with respect to second homes and empty properties in response to the Local Government Finance Act 2012 which recently received Royal Assent.

(ix)  Note the medium term financial forecast for 2013/14 to 2015/16 contained in Appendix 4.

(x)  Approve the updated budget setting timetable contained in Appendix 5.

(xi)  Delegate authority to the Chief Financial Officer, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources, to do anything necessary to give effect to the proposals contained in this report.