Agenda and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

The Lord Mayor invited all Members with any personal or prejudicial interests in the business on the agenda to declare their interests at this point in the meeting.  The following interests were declared:

Councillor Simpson-Laing:personal & prejudicial interests in funding and budgetary issues associated with voluntary organisations, out of school clubs, school music tuition fees, York Wheels and in relation to a potential property sale indicated in confidential annex 7 to the capital programme report in view of its location.

Councillor Sue Galloway:a personal interest in budget item LCS08 (allotments).

Councillor Scott:a personal & prejudicial interest in the Respark area.

Councillor Pottera personal & prejudicial interest in music tuition fees; a personal interest in voluntary sector funding; a personal & prejudicial interest in the Respark area.

Councillor Fraser:a personal interest in HR issues due to his retired Unison section membership and in relation to voluntary sector funding as an observer to trustees;

                                                            A personal & prejudicial in the Respark area.

Councillor Waller:a personal & prejudicial interest as an allotments holder

                                                            A personal interest as a trustee of the Citizens Advice Bureau

Councillor Kind:a personal & prejudicial interest in Foster Care payments.

Councillor Merrett:personal interest in unadopted private roads as a resident

Councillor Bradley:a personal & prejudicial interest in music tuition fees.

Councillor Jamieson-Ball:a personal interest in allotments and the CVS Board.

Councillor Vassie:a personal interest in CHSO9 music in schools    

Councillor B Watson:a personal interest in unadopted private roads as a resident

Councillor Evans:a personal & prejudicial interest in the Respark area; a personal interest in York Museums Trust.

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

The Lord Mayor reported the receipt of a gift of a vase from the Lord Mayor of London. 

She went on to thank all who had attended the Valentines Ball, in aid of the Lord Mayor’s charities. 

The Lord Mayor drew attention to the following:

(i)         the forthcoming visit from the Mayor of Munster on the 9^th to 11^th March, as part of the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the twinning of York and Munster. 

(ii)        the celebration of the birthday of the York-born poet W H Auden, which was taking place in the City this evening.

Finally, she thanked Murray Rose, Assistant Director (Learning, Culture & Children’s Services) for his work with the authority on behalf of Council and wished him well in his future career and new Authority. 

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or ask any question of any Member of Council, on any matter directly relevant to the business on this agenda (namely the setting of the budget), may do so.  Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Tuesday, 20 February 2007.

The Lord Mayor reported that there had been no registrations under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme to speak at the meeting with regard to any business associated with the Budget.

To consider any petitions received from 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 reported that there were no petitions to be presented by Members at the meeting in relation to business associated with the Budget.

RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Annex 6 to agenda item 5(b) (Capital Programme Budget) (minute    refers) on the grounds that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons, which is classed as exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Councillor Steve Galloway moved, and Councillor Waller seconded, the recommendations of the Executive in relation to the Council’s Budget for 2007/08, including the Revenue Budget, the Fees and Charges and Housing Revenue Account recommendations, the Capital Programme Budget and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Prudential Indicators.

Councillor Merrett then moved the following amendments to the Executive recommendations, the first of which was seconded by Councillor Potter and the second by Councillor Looker:

1.            Amendment to Executive Minute 140 (Revenue Budget)

Under “RECOMMENDED”:

Paragraph a)

Replace the figure “£104.538m” with £104.753m”.

Delete the words “as set out in Table 1 at paragraph 15”

Paragraph b)

Add the following words at the end:

“Subject to the inclusion of the following additional HRA growth items totaling £52k:

Additional Post of Community Adviser  £20k

Additional Funding to Residents' Associations  £32k

To be funded through a reduced revenue contribution to capital schemes from £912k to £860k.”

Paragraph d)

Add the following words at the end:

“Subject to the addition of the following new growth areas, totaling £812k:

Further to considering the Council’s budget for 2007/2008 under item 5 above, to consider the Council Tax Resolution for 2007/2008, as set out in the attached report.

Please note North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (NYFRA) will not meet to set its precept for 2007/08 until 19 February 2007.  The proposals being considered at that meeting are for an increase of 3.9% (to £56.04 for a band D property) between 2006/07 and 2007/08.  This figure has been used in the proposed Council Tax calculations shown in the attached report.  Confirmation of this figure and the proposed Council Tax calculations will be provided to Members as soon as possible after the NYFRA meeting.

Councillor Steve Galloway moved, and Councillor Waller seconded, the Council Tax Resolution for 2007/2008, as set out in the report at page 23 of the Council papers.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED: That the Council Tax Resolution for 2007/2008, as set out in the report at item 6 (page 23 of the Council papers), be approved, as follows:

1.         COUNCIL TAX BASE

That it be noted that the Director of Resources, under his delegated authority, calculated the following amounts for the year 2007/08 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

                        (a)       Whole of the Council’s Area

65,203.55 being the amount calculated in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 and the Local Government Act 2003, as its Council Tax Base for the year.

                        (b)       Parts of the Council’s Area

the amounts mentioned in Column 1 of Schedule A to this Resolution, being the amounts calculated in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations and the Local Government Act 2003, as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

2.         DISTRICT/PARISH COUNCIL TAX RATES

That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2007/08 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

                        (a)       District/Parish Gross Expenditure

£330,951,329.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act.

                        (b)       Income

£227,194,990.00 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act.

(c)        District/Parish Net Expenditure

£103,756,339.00 being the amount by which the aggregate at 13(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 13(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year.

                        (d)       Government Grants and Collection Fund Surpluses

£39,192,860 being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed non-domestic rates and revenue support grant, increased by the amount of the sums which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its Collection Fund to its General Fund in accordance with Regulation 4(7) of the Local Government Changes for England (Collection Fund Surpluses and Deficits) Regulations 1995 and increased by the amount of any sum which the Council estimates will be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Fund pursuant to the Collection Fund (Local Government Changes for England)(Community Charges) Directions under Section 98(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 made on 22 November, 1995.

                        (e)       Basic Amount of Tax (including average parish precepts)

£990.1835 being the amount at 13(c) above less the amount at 13(d) above, all divided by the amount at 12(a)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.