Cabinet Member for Finance
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.3, immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting of the Council the names of Councillors who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting shall be recorded in the Minutes of that meeting.
At its meeting on 8th February 2024, Cabinet considered Paper BCa/23/39, the General Fund Budget for 2024/25 and four-year outlook. Paper BC/23/38 now includes all the relevant updated information plus the tax base, precepts and council tax band information at parish level, together with the necessary recommendations.
Minutes:
92.1 The Chair invited Councillor Ward, Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments, to introduce Paper BC/23/38.
92.2 Councillor Ward introduced Paper BC/23/38 to Members outlining its purpose and PROPOSED the recommendations as detailed in the report.
92.3 Councillor Busby SECONDED the proposal.
92.4 The Chair invited Councillor Maybury, Leader of the Opposition, to make a representation to Paper BC/23/38.
92.5 Councillor Maybury spoke to Paper BC/23/38 and expressed her Party’s concerns about the figures contained in the report.
92.6 Councillor Holt questioned whether the Babergh Growth project should be postponed to ascertain a better understanding of its potential implications on the budget in upcoming years. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that any further postponement of this project would incur significant costs.
92.7 Councillor Maybury queried if the Council was putting money into the Quiet Lanes Suffolk project. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that this was not the case.
92.8 Councillor McLaren queried whether there was a succession plan programme in place to support internal recruitment and career development in relation to the vacancy management factor. The Chief Executive responded that this support was in place.
92.9 Councillor Riley questioned why expenditure for the Senior Leadership Team had increased. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that this increase was largely due to the increase in the Team’s salaries, as agreed by the Council in 2023, and that an imminent reduction in the size of the Team would result in savings.
92.10 Councillor Beer asked what the £12.3m spent on staff costs equated to in terms of percentage of total expenditure. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that this equated to 50%, a reduction of 1% from the 2023/24 budget.
92.11 Councillor Holt queried if there was assurance that CIFCO would be able to make their repayments for upcoming years. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that the CIFCO board had issued a guarantee that full repayments would be made annually.
92.12 Councillor Parker asked for clarification on the split between short and long term borrowing on CIFCO. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that this information would be provided outside of the meeting.
92.13 Councillor Parker also queried the Roadside Workspace Development and what this entailed. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that this was a postponed development in Hadleigh along the A1071.
92.14 Councillor Jamieson asked for reassurance that the problems faced when putting together the 2024/25 budgets would be identified and solved ahead of next year’s budget. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that work would be starting on the 2025/26 budgets immediately and that changes to how the budgets were pulled together were already being planned.
92.15 Councillor Clover queried the reasons for a decrease in planning income. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets, and Investments responded that there had been a reduction in the number of major developments being brought forward to the Council.
92.16 Councillor Beer criticised the decision to borrow £15m to fund ongoing projects and the proposed raise in council tax.
92.17 Councillor McCraw spoke about tax burden on a national scale and compared the proposed increase in the Council’s council tax to that of Suffolk County Council.
92.18 Councillor Holt expressed concern for the impact of ongoing projects, such as CIFCO and the depot, on the future budgets.
92.19 Councillor Jamieson raised the need for more sufficient funding and financial support to the Councils, and all local authorities, from the national government.
92.20 Councillor Ward provided reassurance for the borrowing taking place as part of the budget and clarified that council tax only funds 28% of the budget – all other expenditure must be covered by alternate income.
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.3, the vote was recorded as follows:
For |
Against |
Abstain |
David Busby |
Peter Beer |
Isabelle Reece |
Jane Carruthers |
Paul Clover |
|
Jessie Carter |
Michael Holt |
|
Derek Davis |
Margaret Maybury |
|
Helen Davies |
Mark Newman |
|
Sallie Davies |
Brian Riley |
|
Simon Dowling |
|
|
Kathryn Grandon |
|
|
Ruth Hendry |
|
|
Leigh Jamieson |
|
|
Alastair McCraw |
|
|
Mary McLaren |
|
|
Elisabeth Malvisi |
|
|
John Nunn |
|
|
Adrian Osborne |
|
|
Lee Parker |
|
|
Stephen Plumb |
|
|
Daniel Potter |
|
|
Tim Regester |
|
|
Deborah Saw |
|
|
Laura Smith |
|
|
John Ward |
|
|
John Whyman |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL 23 |
TOTAL 6 |
TOTAL 1 |
By 23 votes for, 6 votes against and 1 abstention
It was RESOLVED:
1.1 That Council approves:
(a) The General Fund Budget proposals comprising:
· the 2024/5 revenue budget estimates as set out in Table 1 including the savings proposed in Table 3.
· the options proposed for funding the 2023/24 budget and to establish new reserves as set out in Appendix A.
· the 2024/25 to 2027/28 capital programme and it’s funding as set out in Appendix B.
· the movement in, and creation of, reserves as set out in table 7.
(b) A 2.99% increase in the Band D Council Tax for 2024/25 from £182.64 to £188.10 per annum, an increase of £5.43 or 10p per week.
(c) The new income bands and contribution rates for the 2024/25 100% Local Council Tax Reduction (Working Age) Scheme as set out in Table 5.
(d) The 2024/25 Council Tax resolution set out in Appendix C.
1.2 The Council notes:
(e) The Medium-Term forecast set out in Table 9.
(f) The section 25 report on the robustness of estimates and adequacy of reserves in Appendix D.
Supporting documents: