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 that the Monitoring Officer had confirmed that Government guidance stated that Members did not have a disclosable pecuniary interest in the business of setting the council tax and that the Council’s Code of Conduct also confirmed that Members did not have a prejudicial interest in that business on the agenda.

The following personal interest was declared:

The Lord Mayor expressed her sadness at the recent death of former Councillor Robert Glew, a Labour Councillor during the 1950’s and 60’s for the Bootham Ward. Members stood for a moment’s silence in memory of former Councillor Glew.

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 24 February 2016.

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.

Andrea Dudding, on behalf of Unison, spoke on the budget proposals.  She expressed disappointment at the proposal to increase Council Tax by 3% rather than 3.9% and expressed concerns regarding the impact that the proposals would have on the delivery of services and on staffing.   

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. 9.1c.

The Lord Mayor stated that she had not received 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 Executive, at their meeting on 11 February 2016, 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 Executive Leader.

Councillor Steward moved and Councillor Aspden seconded the recommendation made by Executive at their meeting held on 11 February 2016, following consideration of the third monitor report on the Capital Programme (minute 118 refers) as follows:

“That Council agree a decrease in the 2015/16 programme of£40.654m 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 118 of the Executive meeting on 11 February 2016 be approved. ^1.

To consider the recommendations made by Executive, at their meeting held on 11 February 2016, in relation to:

a)   The Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2016/17 to 2020/21

b)   The Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2016/17 to 2020/21and

c)   The Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2016/17 to 2020/21

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

Note:

The original budget reports to Executive, 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=8846&Ver=4

Councillor Steward requested the consent of Council to the alteration of the original Executive motions to incorporate the amendment previously circulated with the Council agenda papers.

Following receipt of Council’s consent Cllr Steward moved and Councillor Aspden seconded, the motions relating to the following proposals, as set out at pages 1 to 4 of the papers circulated at the meeting (now included in the republished agenda), in relation to:

a)   The Council’s Capital Programme Budget for 2016/17 to 2020/21

b)   The Council’s Revenue Budget proposals for 2016/17 to 2020/21and

c)   The Council’s Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators for 2016/17 to 2020/21

Capital Strategy

32. Executive recommends that Council;

i. Agree to the revised capital programme of £180.206m that reflects a net overall increase of £28.451m (as set out in paragraph 54 table 10 and in Annex B). Key elements of this include:

a.   Extension of prudential borrowing funded Rolling Programme schemes totalling £4.921m as set out in table 3 and summarised in table 10;

b.   New schemes totalling £2.415m including an increase in prudential borrowing of £643k as set out in tables 4 & 5 and summarised in table 10;

c.   Extension of externally funded Rolling Programme schemes totalling £9.878m as set out in table 6 and summarised in table 10;

d.   An increase in Housing Revenue Account funded schemes totalling £12.009m funded from a combination of HRA balances/Right to Buy receipts of £12.009m as set out in table 7 and summarised in table 10.

ii. Approve the full restated programme as summarised in Annex A totalling £180.206m covering financial years 2016/17 to 2020/21 as set out in table 11 and Annex A.

iii. Approve the appropriation of the Housing Revenue Account shops into the General Fund as set out at paragraph 5 in the report.

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

Revenue Budget

33. Executive recommends that Council;

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

                               a.    The net revenue expenditure requirement of £117.900m

                               b.    A Council Tax requirement of £77.072m

                               c.    The revenue growth proposals as outlined in the body of the report, subject to the following amendments;

·   An additional £35k to fund the ongoing cost of maintenance for new litter and dog bins across the city

                               d.    The revenue savings proposals as outlined in Annex 2, subject to the following amendments;

·   Removal of saving CES9 Design and Conservation £45k on an ongoing basis

·   Reduction of saving CSES2 Prevention and Early Intervention Services (New Operating Model) £300k for two years until 2018/19

                               e.    The fees and charges proposals as outlined in Annex 4

                               f.      The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget set out in annex 5 and the HRA savings proposals set out in annex 6

                               g.    The dedicated schools grant proposals outlined in paragraphs 114 to 122.

ii)    Note that the effect of approving the income and expenditure proposals included in the recommendations would result in a 3% increase in the City of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

To consider the Council Tax Resolution for 2016/17, as set out in the attached report.

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

The motion was declared CARRIED and it was

Resolved: 

(i)    That it be noted on 21 December 2015 the Director of Customer and Business Support Services, under his delegated authority, calculated the Council Tax Base for the year 2016/17:

(a)            for the whole Council area as 64,199.6 [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 2016/17 (excluding Parish precepts) is £77,072,020.

(iii)     That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a)         £380,390,731.00         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)         £302,651,255.00         being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)         £77,739,476.00  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)         £1,210.90 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)         £667,456.00 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)          £1,200.51being 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 Crime Commissioner and the North Yorkshire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.