The Head of Financial Services had submitted a report to propose a Medium Term Financial Strategy and the 2018/19 Budget for consultation.

Item 8

In introducing the report, Councillor Price  drew attention to some of its key features  including, among others: an increase (of £200,000) in funding for homelessness prevention; an additional £5,000,000 to purchase properties for local homeless families; an additional £100,000 for  energy efficiency works in Council properties (on top of an existing programme of over £24,000,000); anticipated surpluses from the newly formed trading companies; investment in the Museum of Oxford (and consequential levering in of £1.3 m from the Heritage Lottery Fund); and a continuation of the grant programme of £1.4m.

The Head of Financial Services updated Members with key points from the provisional local government finance settlement for 2018 to 2019 announced by the DCLG the previous day. At its heart was the opportunity for councils to raise Council Tax by a  total of 3% (an additional 1%) without recourse to a referendum. Thought will now be given as to how best to respond to this opportunity.

The Council had bid (alongside Oxfordshire’s other authorities) to be included in the 100% business rate pilot but had, unfortunately, been unsuccessful;  officers could seek feedback as to why.  There may be an opportunity to bid again for 2019/20.

The long awaited Fair Funding review was now likely to be effective for 2021 but meaningful details were still awaited.

It would now be possible to increase planning fees by up to 20% (with the proviso that the fee is recycled into planning work).

The public consultation on the Council budget would be launched the following day.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1)            Approve the 2018-19 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets for consultation and the General Fund and  Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in  Appendices 1-9, noting :

a)     the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £23.281 million for   2018/19 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £5.77 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £295.96 per annum

b)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2018/19 of £43.241 million and a reduction of 1% (£0.85/wk) in social dwelling rents from April 2018 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £104.58 as set out in Appendix 4

c)    the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6.

2)                  Agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7