Council considered a report from theHeads of Financial Services and Business Improvement detailing the Council’s finances, risk and performance at the end of the financial year 2016/17 and making new requests for funding (previously submitted to the City Executive Board meeting on 20 June 2017).

Councillor Turner, Board Member for Finance and Asset Management presented the report and moved the recommendations.

Councillor Tidball spoke detailing the expenditure proposals to address health inequalities.

Councillors asked a number of questions and made statements about the carry-forward requests and new projects listed in the report and appendices before reaching their decision.

Council resolved to:

1.    establish General Fund budgetary provision of £745k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D;

2.    establish an HRA budgetary provision of £300k in respect of the new bids shown in the report and Appendix D.

The Heads of Financial Services and Business Improvement submitted a report which detailed the Council’s finances, risk and performance at the end of the financial year 2016/17.

Councillor Ed Turner, Board Member for Finance and Asset Management presented the report.

The Board noted that the any unspent portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy assigned to ward members in 2016/17 should be carried forward to 2017/18.

They asked for a report on the recommendations from the Health Inequalities Board.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.    Note the financial outturn and performance of the Council for the year 2016/17 and also the position on risks outstanding as at 31st March 2017

2.    Agree the carry forward requests in respect of the General Fund and recommend to Council the establishment of budgetary provision of £745k in respect of the new bids shown in paragraph 6 and Appendix D;

3.    Agree the transfer to the General Fund Capital Financing Reserve of £158k detailed in paragraph 2 a; and

4.    Agree the carry forward requests outlined in paragraph 15 and 16 in respect of the HRA as detailed in Appendix D and recommend to Council the establishment of budgetary provision of £300k in respect of the new bids;

5.    Agree the transfer to the HRA Capital Financing Reserve of £1.151m detailed in paragraph 2c;

6.    Agree the transfer of the underspend on the Capital Programme of £219k detailed in paragraph 20 to be returned to capital Financing Reserve.

The Heads of Head of Financial Services and Business Improvement submitted a report which updated Members on Council’s finances, risk and performance as at 31 December 2016.

Councillor Turner, Board member for Finance, Asset Management and Public Health presented the report. He thanked Oxford City Council staff for their hard work in continuing to provide high quality services to the citizens of Oxford despite the current uncertainty over the structure of local government in Oxfordshire.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.            Note the projected financial outturn and current position on risk and performance as at the 31 December 2016

2.            Note the transfer to HRA reserves of £0.700 million as at the 31 December 2016

The Heads of Financial Services and Business Improvement submitted a report which outlined the Council financial risk and performance as at 30 September 2016.

Cllr Turner, Board member for Finance, Asset Management and Public Health presented the report. He said that the financial performance was pleasing across the Council. He was very grateful to all officers. No services had been cut, expenditure keeps being reduced and Direct services continues to find new revenue streams.

He congratulated Direct Services for over-achieving their income generation targets and spending less than expected. This has meant more money is available to finance the capital programme.

The City Executive Board resolved to:

1.    Note the projected financial outturn and current position on risk and performance as at the 30 September 2016;

2.    Agree the transfer of the projected underspend on Corporate Contingencies of £1.5 million to the Capital Financing Reserve as set out in paragraph 12.

Council resolved toapprove the additional budget of £0.118 million and £0.399 million for Super Connected Cities and Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure (respectively) to be financed from external grant funding in accordance with paragraph 12 of the report.

The Head of Financial Services submitted a report which updated Members on the Council’s Financial Risk and Performance as at 30 June 2016.

Cllr Turner, Finance, Asset Management and Public Health presented the report. He highlighted two concerns:

·         The base budget around planning/ regulatory is more than expected.

·         Leisure usage was down on target for the year.

Cllr Fooks commented on the difficulties the Council has had in recruiting and retaining staff in the planning department. She recommended offering higher salaries.

Cllr Hollingsworth said that a number of planning posts had had their salaries increased to encouraged recruitment. There were 4 planning apprentices starting next week

Cllr Smith said that the leisure usage figures for August showed improvement on the June figures (published in the report).

The City Executive Board resolves to:

1.    Note the projected financial outturn, the current position on risk and performance as at the 30 June 2016;

2.    Recommend to Council that additional budget of £0.118 million and £0.399 million is approved for Super Connected Cities and Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure to be financed from external grant funding in accordance with paragraph 12.