Appendix
1
1.1
The proposed budget protocol
for setting the 2024/25 Council Tax, General Fund and Housing
Revenue Account Revenue and Capital Budget is as set out
below.
1.2
For the February Strategy,
Finance & City Regeneration Committee:
(i)
Budget Amendments shall not be allowable at the February Strategy,
Finance & City Regeneration Committee. For the avoidance of
doubt this does not apply to reports referred to the SFCR Committee
by Service Committees including any referred Fees & Charges
reports, the HRA budget (recommended by Housing Committee), or any
other decision referred or recommended to Strategy, Finance &
City Regeneration Committee by another committee.
1.3
For Budget Council:
(i)
Each recognised political Group shall be allowed a maximum of 4
Budget Amendments.
(ii)
All proposed amendments must have been received by finance officers
no later than 10 working days before Budget Council (i.e. by 12
noon on Thursday 8 February 2024).
(iii)
All amendments will have had to have been assessed and evaluated by
finance officers and the relevant Executive Director no later than
12 noon 5 working days before Budget Council. (i.e. by 12 noon
Thursday 15 February 2024).
(iv)
The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer
will have final sign-off and will not normally allow an amendment
where a proposal is not considered to be robust or viable for one
of the following reasons:
a. The
proposal is legally unsafe and/or carries an exceptionally high
risk of non-delivery;
b.
There is insufficient evidence or information to assess the
potential net saving;
c.
The proposal is adding to, or bringing forward, an existing saving
without further information as to how this can be achieved;
d. The
alternative proposal requires one-off investment, additional
organisation capacity, and/or loan financing that cannot be
supported;
e. The
alternative proposal is beyond the powers and duties of the local
authority.
(v)
The Mayor will refuse to accept any amendment that has not been
“signed off” by the Chief Executive, Chief Finance
Officer and Monitoring Officer.
(vi)
All amendments will be treated in strictest confidence by finance
officers and other such officers that the Chief Executive, Chief
Finance Officer or Monitoring Officer need to consult in order to
assess and evaluate an amendment. They will not be shared until the
designated time detailed in (viii) below.
(vii) All
amendments will be shared at 12noon on Monday 19 February
2024 between the Group Leaders by the Monitoring Officer or
their nominated officer (usually the Head of Democratic
Services).
(viii)
A Whips meeting will be arranged following the sharing of
amendments for the afternoon of Monday 19 February 2024 with
the Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services so that any
matters relating to the Budget Council meeting on the 22 February
and the recently circulated amendments can be discussed.
(ix)
The Chief Executive shall have a “brokering” role if
this would appear to facilitate agreement on particular amendments
or proposals.
(x)
There will be a meeting of Group Leaders (attended by the Chief
Executive, the Chief Finance Officer and other relevant officers)
at 3:00pm on Wednesday 21 February 2024 with a view to
exploring the potential for any agreement on proposed amendments
(i.e. the potential for amendments to be re-packaged as
‘composite’ or ‘All-Party’
amendments).
(xi)
Any variations to the amendments or any new amendments arising from
the Group meetings shall be limited to grouping and repackaging of
amendments or other changes providing that they do not, in the
opinion of the Chief Finance Officer, involve significant costing
or evaluation that cannot reasonably be done within the available
timescale.
(xii) In the
event that Council fails to set the Council Tax on the 22 February
2024, a further meeting would need to be held prior to 10 March and
a reserve date of Tuesday 27 February 2024 is being held for
this purpose.