The Head of Financial Services will submit a report to the City Executive Board on 12 February which presents the outcome of the budget consultation and seeks agreement of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2020-21 to 2022-23 and the Budget for 2019-20 for recommendation to Council (published as a supplementary pack).

The City Executive Board is asked to consider the outcome of the public consultation, agree the amendments to the Consultation Budget set out in the report, and make recommendations to Council. Any changes to the final recommendations to Council and any amendments resulting from the City Executive Board meeting will be tabled at the Council meeting.

Amendments to the budget submitted by opposition groups or individual councillors must be received before 1.00pm on Tuesday 12 February and will be circulated with the briefing note.

Councillor Turner, the Board Member for Finance and Asset Management, will present the report and move the City Executive Board’s recommendations.

The procedure for this item is set out in Part 11.4 of the Council’s Constitution.

Recommendations: Council is recommended to:

a.    consider the City Executive Board recommendations to Council, including the budget published as part of the agenda for this meeting along with any amendments resulting from the CEB meeting of 12 February tabled at this meeting;

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

c.    consider individual amendments; and

d.    agree the recommendations from the City Executive Board as presented to Council, or with further amendments as decided by Council.

Subject to the recommendations of the City Executive Board at their meeting on 12 February:

Council is recommended to resolve to:

1.    Approve the 2019-20 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 of the report, noting:

a)    the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £24.167 million for   2019/20 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 2.99% or £8.94 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £307.80 per annum;

b)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 of £42.466 million and a reduction of 1% (£1.03/wk) in social dwelling rents from April 2019 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £102.26 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.

3.    Delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Board Member for Finance and Assets 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 12-14 of the report.

4.    Ratify their decision to implement the Premium Council Tax of 100% for properties that have been empty for more than 2 years and approve the escalated rate of premium council tax when permitted to do so. (Para 17-19 of the report).

5.    Agree the transfer of property from the General Fund to the HRA as referred to in paragraph 35 of the report.

A recorded vote must be taken when voting to agree the final budget and medium term financial strategy.

Councillor Malik re-joined the meeting at the start of this item.

Council had before it and considered:

·         The report  of the Head of Finance and the budget and medium term financial strategy submitted to the City Executive Board for consideration on 12 February 20189

·         The extract of the draft minutes of 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 Head of Finance’s comments on the amendments published with the briefing note;

·         Additional recommendations to, and accepted by, the Executive Board published with the briefing note including a revised Appendix 6 (Capital);

·         One individual amendment submitted and circulated  at the meeting

Councillor Turner, seconded by Councillor Brown, moved the City Executive Board recommendations.

Councillors Haines left and Councillor Corais arrived at this point.

a)    Liberal Democrat group amendments to the budget

Councillor Roz Smith, seconded by Councillor Wade, moved the Liberal Democrat group amendments.

After debate, Councillor Turner called for a named vote on the amendments. This being supported by more than the required 10 councillors, a named vote was taken:

For the amendments – Councillors Altaf-Khan, Gant, Goddard, Gotch, Harris, Landell Mills, Roz Smith, Wade (8)

Against the amendments- Councillors Arshad, Azad, Bely-Summers, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Cook, Corais, Curran, Djafari-Marbini, Donnelly, Fry, Hayes, Hollingsworth, Howlett, Kennedy, Lygo, Malik, McManners, Munkonge, Pressel, Rowley, Rush, Simm, Linda Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Taylor, Turner, Upton (30)

Abstentions- Councillors Simmons, Wolff (2)

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

b)   Green group amendments to the budget

Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Wolff, moved and seconded the Green group amendments.

After debate these were put to the vote.

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

c)     Individual amendment to the City Executive Board budget as proposed

Councillors Gant and Goddard left before this point.

Councillor Roz Smith, seconded by Councillor Simmons, moved an amendment: Cut communications officer posts by 1FTE and put funds into supporting Experience Oxfordshire and a 0.5FTE Carbon Accountant post (reducing communications posts by £45k and allocating £20k to Experience Oxfordshire and £25k to the part time post) to start immediately and continue for 4 years.

The S151 officer confirmed the proposals were arithmetically correct.

After debate this was put to the vote.

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

d)   Decision on the City Executive Board budget

After a debate, the recommendations of the City Executive Board including the details of the medium term financial strategy, budget, capital programme, HRA, fees and charges and other matters as set out in the published agenda and briefing note for this meeting were put to the vote.

In accordance with legislative requirements, a recorded vote was then taken:

For the City Executive Board recommendations to Council – Councillors Arshad, Azad, Bely-Summers, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Cook, Corais, Curran, Djafari-Marbini, Donnelly, Fry, Hayes, Hollingsworth, Howlett, Kennedy, Lygo, Malik, McManners, Munkonge, Pressel, Rowley, Rush, Simm, Linda Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Taylor, Turner, Upton (30)

Against the City Executive Board recommendations to Council – Councillors Altaf-Khan, Gotch, Harris, Landell Mills, Roz Smith, Wade  (6)

Abstentions – Councillors Simmons, Wolff (2)

Council resolved in accordance with the named vote above to:

1.  Approve the 2019-20 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 of the report,

and agree that the Capital Budget for the Seacourt Park and Ride Extension scheme is increased by £945k in 2019-20, to be funded from Community Infrastructure Levy where available funds permit, with any balance to come from the Council capital financing reserve with a commensurate amendment to appendix 6;

noting:

a.    the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £24.167 million for 2019/20 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 2.99% or £8.94 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £307.80 per annum;

b.    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 of £42.466 million and a reduction of 1% (£1.03/wk) in social dwelling rents from April 2019 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £102.26 as set out in Appendix 4 of the report;

c.    the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6 of the report (as amended as set out above)

2.  Agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 of the report;

3.  Delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Board Member for Finance and Asset Management 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 12-14 of the report;

4.  Ratify their decision to implement the Premium Council Tax of 100% for properties that have been empty for more than 2 years and approve the escalated rate of premium council tax when permitted to do so. (paragraphs 17-19 of the report);

5.  Agree the transfer of property from the General Fund to the HRA as referred to in paragraph 35 of the report; and

6.  Formally adopt the Business Rates Retail Discount Scheme and apply the scheme in accordance with the guidance issued.