Decision - General Fund Revenue Budget & Council Tax 2015/16

(1)                RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

That the following be referred to the Council for consideration:

(1)          The Administration’s proposed 5.9% Council Tax increase in the Brighton & Hove element of the council tax, including:

(i)        The 2015/16 budget allocations to services as set out in Appendix 1.

(ii)       The council’s net General Fund budget requirement for 2015/16 of £220.2m.

(iii)      The referendum budget savings package as set out in Appendix 7.

(iv)      The additional budget proposals for a substitute budget of £4.293m as set out in Appendix 8.

(v)       The funding of the costs associated with holding a referendum on the 7 May 2015 in accordance with Chapter IVZA of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and associated regulations as set out in table 2.

(vi)      The reserves allocations as set out in paragraph 3.24 and table 2.

(vii)    The Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix 12 to this report.

(2)          If recommendation 2.1 is not agreed, further savings as set out in Appendix 9 be agreed (these being sufficient to enable a Council Tax freeze in the Brighton & Hove element of the council tax after taking account of the Freeze Grant available from Government) including consequential adjustments to the reserves allocations and prudential borrowing limits as set in paragraphs 3.24 and Appendix 12, and subject to modifications as necessary to be undertaken by officers following consultation with relevant members and that Council agrees a revised council tax resolution to reflect that;

(3)          If neither recommendation 2.1 nor 2.2 are agreed, that Council adopts a Threshold Budget of 2%, which represents the threshold above which a referendum would be triggered, including the consequential adjustments to the reserves allocations and prudential borrowing limits.

[Note: This option uses the Substitute budget savings package and would therefore be the same as the substitute budget proposals with the exception of the difference in one-off costs between these two budget options.  The one-off costs comprise the cost of holding the referendum and timing differences for implementation, as set out in Appendix 10.].

(4)          That Council agree the fees and charges referred to Council as outlined in paragraph 3.21 and 4.5;

(5)          That Council note the Equalities Impact Assessments to cover all budget options and their cumulative effect are set out in Appendices 13 and 14;

(6)          That Council approves the borrowing limit for the year commencing 1 April 2015 of £379m;

(7)          That Council approves the annual Minimum Revenue Provision statement as set out in Appendix 11;

(8)          The proposed responses to the scrutiny recommendations as set out in Appendix 17;

(9)          That Council note the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy and resource projections for 2015/16 to 2019/20 as set out in Appendix 5;

(10)       That Council note that supplementary information needed to set the overall council tax will be provided for the budget setting Council as listed in paragraph 4.4;

(11)       That, for the purposes of enacting an extended business rates transitional relief scheme announced in the Autumn Statement 2014, Council grant delegated authority to the Executive Director of Finance & Resources to design and administer the scheme in accordance with government guidelines as set out in paragraph 3.8; and

(12)       That if recommendation (1) above, is agreed, the referendum be held on 7th May 2015.

(2)                RESOLVED: That officers be authorised to make any necessary technical, presentational or consequential amendments to the report before its submission to full Council.