Issue - items at meetings - Q4 Finance and Performance Monitor

The Corporate Director of Customer and Corporate Support Services (Deputy Chief Executive) to present a report which provides an analysis of the council’s overall finance and performance position a the end of the 2017/18 financial year, including progress on delivering savings.

Resolved: (i) That the year end underspend of £620k and the unused contingency of £761k be noted.

(ii) That the underspend of £620k and £511k of the unused contingency be allocated to the schemes outline in paragraphs 8 to 21 of the report.

(iii) That the remaining contingency of £250k be transferred to the 2018/19 contingency.

(iv) That approval be given to fund the employment issue outlined in paragraph 63 of the report from the reserve relating to costs for ongoing and future pay and employment claims, and that authority be delegated to the Director of Customer & Corporate Services to make the final payment due.

(v) That the financial risks outlined in the report, and the need to continue to maintain a prudent contingency and reserves that are reflective of the risks set out in the report, be noted.

(vi) That the continued effective financial management across the council, and the ongoing delivery of savings, be noted.

(vii) That the performance information set out in paragraph 68 onwards be noted.

Reason: To ensure that significant financial issues can be appropriately dealt with.

The Corporate Director of Customer & Corporate Services (Deputy Chief Executive) presented a report which provided an analysis of the council’s overall finance and performance position at the end of the 2017/18 financial year, including progress on delivering savings.

A provisional out-turn of £620k was reported on the council’s net General Fund budget of £119.6m for 2017/18. This maintained the council’s overall financial health and provided a strong platform from which to meet the challenges ahead. Good progress had also been made on achieving savings during the year, with delays in some areas generally being mitigated by savings in others. It was proposed to use the underspend, and part of the unallocated contingency referred to in paragraph 65 of the report, to invest in a number of key front line service areas, as described in paragraphs 8 to 20.

An update on performance under the core indicators built around the priorities in the 2015-19 Council Plan was provided in paragraphs 70 to 176 of the report. It was noted that, of the 15 strategic indicators reporting new annual data, 9 had shown improvements. York had also gained recognition as the Sunday Times’ ‘Best Place to Live’ for 2018 and as a top quartile performer under the Happy City Thriving Places Index.