The Head of Financial Services submitted a report to the City Executive Board on 9 February which presents the outcome of the budget consultation and the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2017-21 and 2017-18 Budget for recommendation to Council.

The minutes of that meeting are available.

The Deputy Leader will move the City Executive Board’s recommendations.

Opposition Group amendments to the budget will be circulated with the briefing note.

The procedure for this item is at Agenda Item 4.

Recommendations:  Council is recommended to:

a.    note that the City Executive Board agreed to recommend to Council the budget  published as part of the agenda for their meeting on 9 February with amendments as set out below;

b.    note the implications (contained in this budget) of the City Executive Board’s decision on 15 December 2016 to make an investment to expand the commercial waste fleet collection capacity by adding an additional refuse collection vehicle (RCV) to the vehicle replacement programme and place an order for this vehicle now and creating two permanent posts, one driver and one loader, to crew the additional RCV;

c.    consider the recommendations of the City Executive Board including the amendments below;

d.    consider the substantive amendments proposed by the opposition groups; and published with the briefing note;

e.    consider individual amendments; and

f.     agree the recommendations from the City Executive Board to Council or with further amendments:

The City Executive Board recommends that Council:

1.    approve the 2017-18 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendices 1-10, noting:

a)    the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £21.055 million for 2017/18 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £5.67 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £290.19 per annum;

b)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2017/18 of £44.285 million and a reduction of 1% (£1.06/wk) in social dwelling rents from April 2017 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £105.65 as set out in Appendix 4;

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

2.    agree not to implement the voluntary ‘Pay to Stay’ policy for Council house tenants (para 28 of the report refers);

3.    agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 with the amendment to waive the fees for:

•      Interment of a child – who at the time of death was less than 1 month (Resident); and

•      Interment of a child - who at time of death was prior to 12th birthday (Resident).

4.    delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Board Member for Finance, Asset Management and Public Health the decision to determine whether it is financially advantageous for the Council to enter into a Business Rates Distribution Agreement as referred to in paragraphs 16-17 of the report;

5.    agree an additional loan of up to £75,000 for working capital to Oxwed (Oxford West End Development Company) as highlighted in paragraph 41 of the report;

6.    agree provision of a loan facility to Oxford City Housing Ltd of up to £61 million (paras 39-40 of the report) an extra £48.75 million over the next four years, subject to the provision of; and agreement to a business plan by the Company; and

7.    agree to retain the additional £200,000 pension provision to cover potential increased liability to the Council arising from TUPE transfer of staff to a Local Authority wholly owned company for Direct Services.

A recorded vote must be taken at stage (f).

Councillor Goddard arrived shortly after the start of this item and Councillor Clarkson arrived during the second amendment debate.

Council had before it and considered:

• The budget submitted to the City Executive Board for consideration on 9 February 2017;
• The recommendations from the City Executive Board from that meeting;
• The Liberal Democrat group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note;
• The Green group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note;
• The Deputy Leader’s submitted amendment on behalf of the Executive Board published with the briefing note;
• Two amendments from the Liberal Democrat group submitted at the meeting;
• Two amendments from the Green group submitted at the meeting.

Councillor Turner, seconded by Councillor Price, moved the City Executive Board recommendations and an amendment to these. This was agreed and included at (9) in the decision below.

a)    Alternative budget proposals

Councillor Fooks, seconded by Councillor Gant, moved and seconded the Liberal Democrat group amendments circulated before the meeting.

After debate these were put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the Liberal Democrat amendments were not carried.

Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Thomas, moved and seconded the Green group amendments circulated before the meeting.

After debate these were put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the Green group amendments were not carried.

b)   Further amendments to the City Executive Board budget as proposed and amended

1.    Councillor Thomas, seconded by Councillor Simmons, moved and seconded an amendment: each year from 2017/18 to 2020/21 to use £50,000 of the vacancy factor identified in LibDem substantive budget amendment to provide additional transitional support to Children’s Centres within the city.  

Councillor Turner proposed a further amendment: each year from 2017/18 to 2020/21 to use £30,000 and provide support through the small grants budget to allow flexibility. This was accepted by the proposer.

The S151 officer confirmed this was feasible but there were risks in using the vacancy factor this way. After debate this was put to the vote.

With more councillors voting for than against, the amendment was carried:

to use £30,000 of the vacancy factor identified in LibDem substantive budget amendment to provide additional transitional support to Children’s Centres within the city, provided through the small grants budget.

2.    Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Gant, moved and seconded an amendment: reduce the size of the communications team from 6 to 4, draw down the disabled transport reserve and invest in a new fraud officer to generate sufficient on-going revenue to fund a range of small initiatives in opposition budget amendments.  

The S151 officer confirmed this was feasible. After debate this was put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the amendment was not carried.

3.    Councillor Gant, seconded by Councillor Fooks, moved and seconded an amendment: from 2017/18 onwards to use £20,000 of the vacancy factor identified to fund additional ESOL teaching.

The Leader stated that while he would not support this he would be open to providing additional funds if there was a proven need. The S151 officer confirmed this was feasible but there were risks in using the vacancy factor this way. After debate this was put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the amendment was not carried.

4.    Councillor Landell Mills, seconded by Councillor Goff, moved and seconded an amendment: in 2017/18 only to make the £40,000 disabled transport contingency available for community initiatives. 

The S151 officer confirmed this was feasible. Councillor Hollingsworth stated that he planned to ensure the reserve was used for its intended purpose or released for other uses within the next financial year. After debate the amendment was put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the amendment was not carried.

c)    Decision on the City Executive Board budget as amended

After debate, the recommendations of the City Executive Board and two agreed amendments including the details of the medium term financial strategy, budget, capital programme, HRA, fees and charges and other matters as set out in the papers for the City Executive Board meeting and with the amendment agreed above, were put to the vote.

Council agreed to accept an amendment from the Green group to vary the procedure for voting to take three separate named votes: on the General Fund capital programme, the HRA capital programme, and the remainder of the recommendations.

In accordance with procedure rules and as required by law named votes were taken.

Council resolved by assent to:

a.    note that the City Executive Board agreed to recommend to Council the budget  published as part of the agenda for their meeting on 9 February with amendments as set out below;

b.    note the implications (contained in this budget) of the City Executive Board’s decision on 15 December 2016 to make an investment to expand the commercial waste fleet collection capacity by adding an additional refuse collection vehicle (RCV) to the vehicle replacement programme and place an order for this vehicle now and creating two permanent posts, one driver and one loader, to crew the additional RCV;

In accordance with legislative requirements, named votes were taken:

Recommendation 1 (c ): General Fund capital programme

For the recommendations in the report – Councillors Abbasi, Anwar, Azad, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Cook, Coulter, Curran, Fry, Haines, Hayes, Henwood, Hollingsworth, Iley-Williamson, Kennedy, Lloyd-Shogbesan, Lygo, Malik, Munkonge, Paule, Pegg, Pressel, Price, Rowley, Sanders, Simm, , Sinclair, Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Taylor, Tidball, Turner, Upton. (37)

Against the recommendations in the report – Fooks, Gant, Goddard, Goff,  Landell Mills, Wade, Wilkinson. (7)

Abstentions – Altaf-Khan, Brandt, Simmons, Thomas, Wolff. (5)

Recommendation 1 (c ): Housing Revenue Account capital programme

For the recommendations in the report – Councillors Abbasi, Altaf-Khan, Anwar, Azad, Brandt, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Cook, Coulter, Curran, Fooks, Fry, Gant, Goddard, Goff, Haines, Hayes, Henwood, Hollingsworth, , Iley-Williamson, Kennedy, Landell Mills, Lloyd-Shogbesan, Lygo, Malik, Munkonge, Paule, Pegg, Pressel, Price, Rowley, Sanders, Simm, Simmons, Sinclair, Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Taylor, Thomas, Tidball, Turner, Upton, Wade, Wilkinson, Wolff. (47)

Against the recommendations in the report – None.

Abstentions – None.

Recommendations from the City Executive Board 1(a), 1(b), 2-7, and the agreed amendments to the budget at 8 and 9:

For the recommendations in the report – Councillors Abbasi, Altaf-Khan, Anwar, Azad, Brandt, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Cook, Coulter, Curran, Fry, Haines, Hayes, Henwood, Hollingsworth, Iley-Williamson, Kennedy, Lloyd-Shogbesan, Lygo, Malik, Munkonge, Paule, Pegg, Pressel, Price, Rowley, Sanders, Simm, Simmons, Sinclair, Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Taylor, Thomas, Tidball, Turner, Upton, Wolff.  (40)

Against the recommendations in the report – Councillors Fooks, Gant, Goddard, Goff, Landell Mills, Wade, Wilkinson. (7)

Abstentions – None.

Council resolved after the named votes as above to:

1.    approve the 2017-18 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendices 1-10, noting:

a)    the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £21.055 million for 2017/18 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £5.67 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £290.19 per annum;

b)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2017/18 of £44.285 million and a reduction of 1% (£1.06/wk) in social dwelling rents from April 2017 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £105.65 as set out in Appendix 4;

c1) the General Fund Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6;

c2) the Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6;

2.    agree not to implement the voluntary ‘Pay to Stay’ policy for Council house tenants (para 28 of the report refers);

3.    agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 with the amendment to waive the fees for:

•              Interment of a child – who at the time of death was less than 1 month (Resident); and

•              Interment of a child - who at time of death was prior to 12th birthday (Resident).

4.    delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Board Member for Finance, Asset Management and Public Health the decision to determine whether it is financially advantageous for the Council to enter into a Business Rates Distribution Agreement as referred to in paragraphs 16-17 of the report;

5.    agree an additional loan of up to £75,000 for working capital to Oxwed (Oxford West End Development Company) as highlighted in paragraph 41 of the report;

6.    agree provision of a loan facility to Oxford City Housing Ltd of up to £61 million (paras 39-40 of the report) an extra £48.75 million over the next four years, subject to the provision of; and agreement to a business plan by the Company;

7.    agree to retain the additional £200,000 pension provision to cover potential increased liability to the Council arising from TUPE transfer of staff to a Local Authority wholly owned company for Direct Services;

8.    agree the allocation of reserves in respect of Grenoble Road planning fees (an additional £220k) and responding to proposals for local government reorganisation and on a devolution deal (in the order of £75k) in accordance with the recommendation at paragraph 30 of the Report of the Council’s Chief finance Officer (Minute 82); and

9.    agree to use £30,000 of the vacancy factor identified in LibDem substantive budget amendment to provide additional transitional support to Children’s Centres within the city, provided through the small grants budget.