Issue - meetings

To receive a Budget Statement from the Leader of the Council, to consider the following reports of the Interim Section 151 Officer (copies enclosed) and to determine the level of Council Tax.

Members’ attention is drawn to the following Procedure rules:

·                 Voting - Procedure Rule 13(5) set outs the requirement for any vote taken at a budget decision meeting (as defined by the Local Government Finance Act 1992) to be recorded in the Minutes.

·                 Budget Speech – Procedure Rule 1(13)(a) Sets out the time limits in relation to the budget speech and (b) details the requirements for making alternative proposal or amendment as part of the Budget and Council Tax setting.

Councillor M S Heard declared a non-pecuniary interest in as a trustee of the steam tug Brent.

The Council considered the reports of the Interim Section 151 Officer, on the recommendations of the Strategy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 29 January 2020 relating to the revenue budget and the proposed level of Council for 2020 / 21.

The Leader of the Council made a budget speech (attached at APPENDIX 1 to these Minutes) and commended the budget for 2020 / 21 to the Council.  This was duly seconded by Councillor B E Harker.

In response to the budget speech, the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Heard, thanked the Leader of the Council for providing him with an early draft copy of his budget statement.  Councillor Heard commented on the speech, referring to:

·                 Expenditure – this should be financed from existing capital reserves, not directly form revenue.

·                 The Council currently was debt free, but he noted the planned borrowing and fall in investments forecast by March 2023.

·                 The Future Council model and the identified £739,000 savings for 2021.  Councillor Heard asked the Leader of the Council to clarify the potential loss in grant of £328,000 referred to by the Leader.

·                 The reversal identified savings from the Citizens Advice Bureau and Councillor Heard pointed out an error on page 234 of the report pack which should read “…reduces the saving to £328,000…”.

·                 The meeting with barge operators over the Wharfage fees was welcomed and he recognised the value that the barges brought to Maldon.

·                 Budget training for Members and hoped that the delays seen would be rectified for the new municipal year.

Councillor Heard advised that the Independent Group broadly agreed with the recommendations and also commended the work of the Interim Section 151 Officer.

In response, Councillor A S Fluker commented on the recent communications and meeting arranged with barge operators to address concerns raised.  In response to Councillor Heard’s question regarding the revenue support grant he referred to the Interim Section 151 Officer.  The Interim Section 151 Officer provided the Council with a detailed explanation regarding this grant and how for 2019, following national representations, the Government undertook to meet the cost of negative support grants from its own business rate receipts.  The Government had undertaken a technical consultation and for 2020/21 it would again be taking on the cost of the negative revenue support grant.  The Interim Section 151 Officer advised that the Council needed to be aware that there was a risk that it may have to repay monies in the future, which for this Council would be in the region of £338,000.