Agenda item

To receive a Budget Statement from the Leader of the Council, to consider the following reports of the 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.

The Council considered the reports of the Interim Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 Officer), on the recommendations of the Strategy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 25 January 2024 relating to the revenue budget and the proposed level of Council for 2024 / 25.

The Leader of the Council made a budget speech (attached at APPENDIX 1 to these Minutes), during which he thanked the Interim Chief Finance Officer and her team for their hard work and ended commending the budget for 2024 / 25 to the Council.  This proposal was duly seconded.

The Interim Chief Finance Officer provided a brief summary of the reports highlighting each of the appendices contained within Agenda Item 9d – 2024 / 25 Revised and 2024 / 25 Original Budget Estimates as well as:

·              Member engagement that had taken place;

·              Capital and Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) along with details of Capital Bids;

·              Treasury Management Strategy;

·              Council Tax for 2024 / 25 and the proposed 2.98% increase equating to £6.52 a year for a band D property.

·              Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and forecast budget changes over the next three years;

Members were advised and noted that under agenda item 9d Revised 23-24 and Original 24-25 Budget Estimates recommendation b should refer to the year 2024 / 25.

In accordance with Procedure Rule 1(13)a, each of the Opposition Leaders responded to the budget speech.

Councillor S J Morgan, Leader of the Conservative Group, referred to the budget having been put together by the four political groups working together as part of the Finance Working Group.  He commended Councillors M F L Durham and A Fittock for their chairing of the Working Group and thanked the Section 151 Officer and other officers for their work on the budget.

Councillor J C Stilts, Leader of the District Support Group, thanked the Section 151 Officer for her presentation and agreed that the budget had been formed by all political groups working together.  She highlighted the various elements that had resulted in a reduction to the initial budget gap reported and how cuts in funding by central government along with rising costs of services and inflation would add pressure to the budget in future years.  The District Support Group requested that a cost versus income analysis was carried out as a matter of urgency and the Council should look at neighbouring Council initiatives to work with partners and start reducing costs.  She advised that her Group supported the principle of the budget but requested that a full review of the financial implications or providing non-statutory and discretionary services along with the cost of delivering and executing the corporate plan be undertaken and reported to the Council as a matter of urgency.

Councillor J Driver, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, also referred to the work of the Finance Working Group and the scrutiny of the budget by all political groups.  He thanked Officers for they work they had done to identify budget savings whilst keeping any loss of service to a minimum and referred to the work of the Liberal Democrat Group to deliver the services needed for vibrant communities.  Agreeing with the Leader that working in partnership was vital to deliver services, the Council must demand the appropriate infrastructure for the District and he made particular reference to the poor medical provision in the District.

In response to all Opposition Leaders’, the Leader referred to the recent feedback the Council had received from the Local Government Association finance peer review.  He advised that the LGA were extremely impressed with what the Council had done and the way it had managed its budget.  The Leader highlighted the importance of working with the North Essex Councils to ensure services could be shared and that the Council’s corporate plan fitted the budget.  He agreed with the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group that the Council needed to ensure NHS services stayed within the District and advised the Council was doing its utmost to ensure this happened and would use Section 106 monies wherever possible to support that aim.

The Chairman of the Council referred to the proposal, duly seconded, in the name of the Leader of the Council, advising that the recommendations as set out in reports 9a to 9c would be taken en-bloc.  This was duly seconded and upon a vote being taken these recommendations were duly agreed.