Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Finance

Summary

The Council has to adopt a budget for 2010/11 as the basis for calculating its level of Council Tax and has to base that budget on its plans for service delivery during the year, recognising any changes in service demand that may arise in future years.  This is the first of three opportunities that the Executive has to shape and refine the interaction between the Corporate Plan, the service plans that underpin the corporate plan and financial matters before the final budget is presented to the Council on the 22nd February 2010.

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

1)     to consider the draft budget (detailed in Appendix 1) and service plans in the context of the Council’s service objectives and strategic priorities;

2)     to endorse the proposed service priorities and the draft Corporate Plan for 2010-11 (detailed in Appendix 2);

3)     to note the areas of unavoidable revenue growth (detailed in Appendix 3);

4)     to agree the approach to the overall capital programme and 2010/11 expenditure profile (detailed in Appendix 4);

5)     to advise of any other matters they would like taken into consideration in producing a balanced budget for the next meeting of the Executive on 11^th January 2010 ;

6)     to note that any recommendations of the scrutiny reviews on the non consulted services and capital programme to be considered at the Resources and Performance  Scrutiny Board on 1^st December 2009 will be reviewed as part of the second draft of the budget:

7)     to endorse the draft budget and corporate plan as the basis for consultation;

Agreed, subject to the amendments to recommendations 2 and 4 below:

Recommendation 2

“to endorse the proposed service priorities and the draft Corporate Plan for 2010-11 (detailed in Appendix 2); and to request officers to draft revised corporate plan aims regarding i) NW Bicester Eco Town ii) and around designing services to meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents.

Recommendation 4

“to note the approach to the overall capital programme and 2010/11 expenditure profile (detailed in Appendix 4); and that officers note the request of scrutiny for a review of the capital programme which should be brought forward and reported to the January Executive meeting, with particular attention paid to minimising the extent of the programme in 2010/11 in particular.”

The Head of Finance submitted a report to provide the opportunity for the Executive with the first of three opportunities that the Executive has to shape and refine the interaction between the Corporate Plan, the service plans that underpin the corporate plan and financial matters before the final budget is presented to the Council on the 22nd February 2010.

Resolved

(1)               That the draft budget  and service plans be considered in the context of the Council’s service objectives and strategic priorities;

(2)               That the proposed service priorities and the draft Corporate Plan for 2010-11; and to request officers to draft revised corporate plan aims regarding i) NW Bicester Eco Town ii) and around designing services to meet the needs of our most vulnerable residents.;

(3)               That the areas of unavoidable revenue growth be noted;

(4)               That the approach to the overall capital programme and 2010/11 expenditure profile be agreed; and that officers note the request of scrutiny for a review of the capital programme which should be brought forward and reported to the January Executive meeting, with particular attention paid to minimising the extent of the programme in 2010/11 in particular.”

(5)               That it be noted that the recommendations of the scrutiny reviews on the non consulted services and capital programme to be considered at the Resources and Performance  Scrutiny Board on 1^st December 2009 will be reviewed as part of the second draft of the budget:

(6)               That the draft budget and corporate plan as the basis for consultation be endorsed;

Reasons - The budget will form the financial expression of the Council’s strategic priorities and service delivery plans for 2010/11; the allocation of resources against agreed service priorities is necessary in order to achieve its strategic priorities.

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