Agenda item - Chair's Communication

Today we are here at this special meeting to scrutinise the 2026/27 budget ahead of the budget going to full Council on 26th February.

We are joined by Cllr Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of the Council and cabinet member for Finance & City Regeneration, and John Hooton, Interim Director of Property and Finance, who will be talking to us about the budget and then taking questions from members. We are also joined by Cabinet members and officers who are on hand to help with any questions specific to their service areas. They will not be presenting to us as they did at the previous budget scrutiny meeting. However, following the recommendation of the previous budget meeting, I have asked that there be a short presentation specifically on the public health budget to help inform members’ discussion. Public health will also be considered as an item for a future scheduled committee meeting, so we can examine how this spend is being realised throughout the council operation. 

In relation to amendments from the committee, can I ask that if you have any amendments if you can propose them as we discuss that item in questioning. This is so we know to which item you are referring to when noting it down, and we can have the item fresh in our minds as we discuss it. We will then read out each of these at the end of the meeting and vote on them as normal. 

Also, to make sure that we get through all the cabinet members in a reasonable time, I will be asking for questioning of each cabinet member to not last more than roughly half an hour. I have tried to put those cabinet members who we wouldn’t need to spend as much time on up first so we can spend more time focusing on those with larger briefs, but please bear in mind to not take up too much time from other members of the committee. 

I will look to hold a ten-minute break at an appropriate point roughly halfway through the meeting.