Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

It was noted the Monitoring Officer had granted a dispensation to all Members in respect of any disclosable pecuniary interests Members had to enable them to participate in any meetings of the Council where the business to be discussed related to the Council functions in setting the council tax

The following prejudicial interest was declared:

The following personal interests were declared:

To consider any announcements made by the Lord Mayor in respect of Civic business and the Lord Mayor will

(a)      Invite Council’s nomination for the Lord Mayor Elect 2015/16 in line with the Council’s Protocol for Nomination of Lord Mayors; and

(b)      Invite Lord Mayor Elect 2015/16 to announce the nominee for Sheriff for 2015/16.

The Lord Mayor expressed his sadness at the recent death of Honorary Alderman Bernard Bell, who’s funeral he had attended together with a number of Members. Members stood for a moments silence in memory of Alderman Bell.

The Lord Mayor then invited Councillor Williams to nominate the Lord Mayor Elect for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.  Councillor Williams nominated, and Councillor Simpson-Laing seconded Councillor Crisp as the Lord Mayor Elect and this nomination was unanimously agreed. Cllr Crisp replied that she would be honoured to accept this office and nominated Mr Brian Smith as Sheriff for the 2015/16 Municipal Year.

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on a matter directly relevant to the business on this agenda (namely, the setting of the budget) may do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Wednesday 25 February 2015.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

WEBCASTING NOTICE

Please note: this meeting may be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the internet - at the start of the meeting the Lord Mayor will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed.

You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act. Data collected during this webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy.

Public seating areas will not be filmed by the Council.

The Lord Mayor announced that one registration had been received to speak at the meeting.

Heather McKenzie, on behalf of Unison welcomed the Green Group’s budget amendment but expressed concern at the amendments proposed by the Conservatives, Lib/Dems and Labour Independents which sought to cut trade union budgets and  union facility time in the workplace. She argued that the union  provided fair representation for all and saved the authority money in the long term in relation to tribunals. She stated that any cuts would result in the Council failing in its legal obligations to staff.

To consider any petitions to be presented by Members in relation to business associated with setting the Council’s budget for the coming financial year, in accordance with Standing Order No. 7.

The Lord Mayor confirmed that he had received no notification of any petitions to be presented to Council in relation to the setting of the Council’s budget.

To consider the recommendation made by Cabinet, at their meeting on 10 February 2015, following consideration of the third monitor report on the Capital Programme. This is set out in the attached Part B minute and will be moved by the Cabinet Leader.

Councillor Williams moved and Councillor Simpson-Laing seconded the recommendation made by Cabinet at their meeting held on 10 February 2015, following consideration of the third monitor report on the Capital Programme (minute 105 refers) as follows:

“That Council approve the adjustments in the Capital programme of a decrease of £6.350m in 2014/15 as detailed in the report and contained in Annex A.”

On being put to the vote the recommendation was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:           That the recommendation contained in minute 105 of the Cabinet meeting held on 10 February 2015 be approved. ^1.

Reason:              To enable the effective management and monitoring of the Council’s capital programme.

To consider the recommendations made by Cabinet, at their meeting held on 10 February 2015, in relation to:

a)          The Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2015/16 – 2019/20

b)          The Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2015 to 2020 and

c)           The Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2015/16 – 2019/20

These recommendations are set out in the attached report and will be moved by the Council Leader.

Note:

The original budget reports to Cabinet, on which their recommendations are based, were circulated to all Members and can be found on the Council’s website, here:

http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=8333&Ver=4

Councillor Williams moved, and Councillor Simpson-Laing seconded, the recommendations of the Cabinet, as set out in paragraphs 34 to 36 of the report at pages 1 to 3 of the additional Council papers, circulated prior to the meeting and republished with the online agenda, as follows, in relation to:

a)      The Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2015/16 – 2019/20

b)      The Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2015 to 2020 and

c)      The Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2015/16 – 2019/20

“Capital Strategy

34.    Cabinet recommends that Council;

             i.        Agree to the revised capital programme of £187.019m that reflects a net overall increase of £44.107m (as set out in paragraph 55 table 7 and in Annex B). Key elements of this include:

a.   Extension of prudential borrowing funded Rolling Programme schemes totalling £5.970m as set out in table 2 and summarised in table 7;

b.   New schemes totalling £8.763m including an increase in prudential borrowing of £5.538m as set out in table 3 and summarised in table 7;

c.   New externally funded schemes totalling £15.140m as set out in table 4 and summarised in table 7;

d.   An increase in HRA funded schemes totalling £14.234m funded from a combination HRA balances/Right to Buy receipts of £14.234m as set out in table 5 and summarised in table 7 subject to the approval of the Director of CBSS in relation to the IT investment (£1.810m).

            ii.        Approve the full restated programme as summarised in Annex A totalling £187.019m cover financial years 2015/16 to 2019/20 as set out in table 8 and Annex A

Reason: To set a balanced capital programme as required by the Local Government Act 2003.

Revenue Budget

35.    Cabinet recommends that Council;

             i.        approve the budget proposals outlined in the Financial Strategy report and, in particular;

                               a.    The net revenue expenditure requirement of £119.760m, having been adjusted by a further £162k, following receipt of the final grant settlement

                               b.    A Council Tax requirement of £72.736m

                               c.   The revenue growth proposals as outlined in the body of the report

                               d.    The additional revenue growth of £162k, as a result of the final grant settlement

                               e.    The revenue savings proposals as outlined in Annex 3a to 3d

                               f.      The fees and charges proposals as outlined in Annex 5

                               g.    The Housing Revenue Account budget set out in Annex 6

                               h.    The dedicated schools grant proposals outlined in paragraphs 120 to 128.

            ii.        Note that the effect of approving the income and expenditure proposals included in the recommendations would result in no increase in the City of York Council element of the council tax.

Reason: To ensure a legally balanced budget is set.

Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators

36.    Cabinet recommends that Council approve;

             i.        The proposed treasury management strategy for 2015/16, including the annual investment strategy and the minimum revenue provision policy statement

            ii.        The prudential indicators for 2015/16 to 2019/20 in the main body of the Cabinet report

           iii.        The specified and non specified investments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

To consider the Council Tax Resolution for 2015/16, as set out in the attached report.

A named vote was then taken on the Council Tax recommendation, with the following result:

The motion was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved:     (i)             That it be noted that on 18 December 2014 the Director of Customer and Business Support Services, under his delegated authority, calculated the Council Tax Base for the year 2015/16:

(a)        for the whole Council area as 62,405.7 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)]; and

(b)        for those dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in column 1 in the attached Schedule A.

(ii)         Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2015/16 (excluding Parish precepts) is £72,736,340.

(iii)        That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2015/16 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a)         £379,492,509.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

(b)        £306,132,732.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)         £73,359,777.00 being the amount by which the aggregate at 14(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 14(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year. [Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act].

(d)        £1,175.53 being the amount at 14(c) above [Item R], all divided by Item T (12(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

(e)        £632,437.00 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Schedule A).

(f)          £1,165.54 being the amount at 14(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 14(e) above by Item T (12(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates.

(iv)  To note that North Yorkshire Police and the North Yorkshire Fire and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.