Issue - meetings

B Report of the Director of Finance and Support

1.      The Cabinet’s General fund draft budget proposals for 2010/11 and indicative budgets for 2011/12, and 2012/13 as summarised in Annexes A to E of the report are approved for public consultation.

2.      The proposed council tax increase of 2.47% for 2010/11 and the indicative 2.47% for 2011/12, and 2012/13 are approved for public consultation.

3.      The Cabinet’s draft capital programme and financing as detailed in annexes I, J, and K of the report are approved for public consultation

4.      Approval is given to the draft Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget excluding charges, subsidy and rents.

5.      The draft Capital Strategy at appendix L of the report is approved for consultation.

6.      The consultation leaflet is to be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance for approval.

7.      The Chief Executive and Director of Finance, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, are to undertake the preparatory work in relation to the savings and efficiencies built into the draft budget proposals, subject to any actions being rescinded should any budget options not be approved by 25 February 2010 Council.

Councillor Palethorpe addressed Cabinet and expressed disappointment that this important item had been obscured into a full agenda and that most of the public had now left the meeting. He felt that the paper was vague and hard to understand and did not explain how decisions were being arrived at.  He suggested that Cabinet recognise that they were the architects of change and not necessarily the victims of current circumstances.  He called for more clarity and wondered if his neighbours living in Bellinge would understand the details of the budget from this paper.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and agreed with Councillor Palethorpe that there was not enough detail in the paper to enable him to comment properly.  He felt that the paper was not understandable for the public and therefore it would be hard to have a proper consultation.  There were also unresolved issues relating to proposed savings that had not been implemented and the impact in respect of next year if these savings were not achieved.  He commented on the rise in fees for cemetery and sports and then highlighted a figure for the investment in community clean-ups, which he felt was work that the Council should be undertaking as part of their statutory services.

Councillor B Hoare pointed out that Overview and Scrutiny would scrutinise the budget but Councillor Clarke was not convinced that this could be properly achieved given the small resources available to Overview and Scrutiny.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet stating that the start of the consultation period was not easy with all three budgets being contained in one paper and he agreed that there was little detail on which to pass comment.  He made a plea that when the budget was presented to council, standing orders be raised in order for a full debate to ensue. He then commented on the proposed rise in cemetery and other fees that would directly hit the frail, elderly and disabled.

Councillor Davies addressed Cabinet and suggested there may be issues with the consultation owing to the vagueness of the content.  He commented on proposed staff cuts that could affect council services.  He then went on to comment about proposals to cut CCTV coverage and cited a recent incident in Rectory Farm when there had been no CCTV coverage of an incident.  He was concerned that, in this recession, the council seemed to be failing to support residents by increasing council tax above the rate of inflation.

As Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor Perkins presented the report to Cabinet.  He commented that in addition to a 15-page report, there were also 14 pages of detail included in the appendices.  He confirmed that information would be going out regarding consultation meetings and that interested parties could quiz members and raise comments then.  Referring to the proposed cuts in CCTV coverage, he commented that CCTV usage would be realigned to crime hotspots. With a ½% increase in the Government’s support grant and a 1.3% RPIX inflation, raising council tax by 2.47%  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13