Agenda item

Report of Strategic Director for Customer Service and Resources and the Chief Accountant

Summary

The Council has to adopt a budget for 2009/10 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 second of three opportunities that the Executive has to shape and refine the interaction between service plans and financial matters before the final budget is presented to the Council on the 23rd February 2009. This report also considers an updated Medium Term Financial Forecast to 2013/14 building on the latest projection for 2008/09 and draft budget for 2009/10.

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

1)     to consider the draft revenue budget 2 (detailed in Appendix 1) in the context of the Council’s service objectives and strategic priorities;

2)     to agree the approach to the overall capital programme and 09/10 expenditure profile (detailed in Appendix 2);

3)     to note the draft MTFS position (detailed in Appendix 3)

4)     to request Officers review the current treasury management strategy in light of the current economic climate and present their recommendations at the February 1^st Executive

5)     to advise of any matters they would like taken into consideration in producing a balanced budget for the next meeting of the Executive ;

6)     to consider the recommendations of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board from their meeting of December 9^th 2008 (detailed in Appendix 4)

to note the workshop conclusions from the meeting on 9 December 2009 and to consider them as part of their final discussions on the draft budget; and

to note the request that officers ensure that in 2009 the process for scrutiny of the budgets involves members at an earlier stage and provides additional detail.

7)     to consider the recommendations of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board in relation to concessionary fares. (detailed in Appendix 5)

not to change the current arrangements for the Concessionary Fares Travel Scheme at the present time but that the situation should be reviewed again in six months

Appendices 1,2 and 3  to follow

Agreed

The Strategic Director for Customer Service and Resources and the Chief Accountant submitted a joint report setting out a second analysis of the Council’s draft 2009/2010 Revenue and Capital Budget and presenting two items from the work of scrutiny in relation to fees and charges and concessionary fares. 

Resolved

(1)   That the draft revenue budget 2 in the context of the Council’s service objectives and strategic priorities be noted;

(2)   That the approach to the overall capital programme and 09/10 expenditure profile (as set out in Annex 1 to the minutes, as set out in the minute book) be agreed;

(3)   That the draft MTFS position be noted;

(4)   That Officers be requested to review the current Treasury Management Strategy in light of the current economic climate and present their recommendations at the 2 February Executive;

(5)   That the recommendations of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board from their meeting of 9 December 2008 (as set out below) be noted:

To note the workshop conclusions from the meeting on 9 December 2009 and to consider them as part of their final discussions on the draft budget; and

To note the request that officers ensure that in 2009 the process for scrutiny of the budgets involves members at an earlier stage and provides additional detail.

(6)   That the recommendations of the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board in relation to concessionary fares (as set out below) be agreed:

Not to change the current arrangements for the Concessionary Fares Travel Scheme at the present time but that the situation should be reviewed again in six months

Reasons – the budget forms the financial expression of the Council’s service delivery plans for 2009/10, and the allocation of resources against agreed service priorities is necessary in order to achieve its strategic priorities.  There is also a statutory requirement that the Council sets a balanced budget by 11 March 2009, and the draft budget is part of that process.