Agenda item

To approve the formal Council Tax resolution for 2020/21 (Report to follow)

Council 

AGREED        The Council Tax Resolution, as detailed at Appendix A.

Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member of Finance, introduced this item, which invited Council to formally approve the total Council Tax for the residents of South Cambridgeshire District, including the Council Tax requirements of precepting organisations. Councillor John Williams proposed and Councillor Bridget Smith, Leader of Council, seconded the recommendations in the report.

Councillor Deborah Roberts explained that she would not be supporting this proposal, as any increases needed to be paid for by ordinary residents, who would be funding sustainable initiatives, which she did not believe would not make any difference when compared to the energy usage of countries like India, China, the United States and Germany. She added that Council Tax from residents also paid for the Police force, whom she had little confidence in, due to their apparent recent inaction regarding protestors in Cambridge.

Councillor Nick Wright stated that the increase in Council Tax might have been unnecessary if the Council had not employed management consultants and suggested that it was unclear what they had achieved.

Councillor Dr. Martin Cahn explained that whilst it was simple to cut services, it was difficult re-instate them. He supported the modest increase in Council Tax, as it would be used to rebuild public services.

Councillor Heather Williams stated that any increase in Council Tax was a difficult decision, but she recognised that the Council had little choice. She declared an interest as Council Taxpayer.

Councillor John Williams stated that the Council did not know what the results would be of the Government’s Fair Funding review and it so would be foolish to not increase Council Tax by the maximum amount permitted. Recent history showed that those local authorities who had not increased Council Tax in the past, had then experienced financial difficulties. He urged Council to support the proposal, as it was in the best interests of the District’s residents.

A vote was taken and were cast as follows:

In favour (33):

Councillors Philip Allen, Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya, Anna Bradnam, Tom Bygott, Dr. Martin Cahn, Nigel Cathcart, Gavin Clayton, Graham Cone, Dr. Claire Daunton, Clare Delderfield, Sue Ellington, Peter Fane, Neil Gough, Bill Handley, Geoff Harvey, Dr. Tumi Hawkins, Mark Howell, Steve Hunt, Tony Mason, Peter McDonald, Brian Milnes, Judith Rippeth, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Dr. Ian Sollom, Dr. Aidan Van de Weyer, Bunty Waters, Heather Williams, John Williams, Eileen Wilson and Nick Wright.

Against (1):

Councillor Deborah Roberts.

Abstain (0):

Council RESOLVED TO NOTE

1.        That on 26^th November 2019 the Council calculated the Council Tax Base 2020/2021:

(a)           for the whole Council area as 63,617.60 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)] and,

(b)           for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in Appendix B.

2.        That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2020/2021 (excluding Parish precepts) is calculated as £9,562,361.

Council RESOLVED to approve the following statutory resolution in respect of the Council Tax for 2020/21:

1.        That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2020/2021 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

(a)             £115,260,298  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) (a) to (f) of the Act (gross expenditure including parish precepts, the Housing    Revenue Account and additions to reserves).

(b)             £99,815,531   being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) (a) to (d) of the Act (gross income including the Housing Revenue Account and use of reserves).

(c)              £15,444,767   being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (net expenditure to be met from Council Tax) being the District amount of £9,562,361 and the Parish precepts of £5,882,406).

(d)             £242.78         being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (average Council Tax for a Band D property for the District including Parishes).

(e)             £5,882,406       being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (parish precepts).

(f)               £150.31         being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates (average Council Tax for a Band D property for the District excluding parishes), the amounts being for each of the categories of dwellings shown in Table 1.

(g)             In accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, the basic amounts of Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a special item relates are shown by addition of the amounts for Band D for the District Council in Table 1 and Appendix C.

(h)             In accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of the categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands are shown by adding the amounts for each band in Table 1 and Appendix C of the supplement submitted to Council.

2.        That it be noted that for the year 2020/2021 Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Commissioner, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each category of dwellings in the Council’s area indicated in the Table 1:

3.        That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the amounts shown in Appendix D of the supplement as the amounts of Council Tax for 2020/2021 for each of the categories of dwellings shown in Appendix D of that supplement.

4.        Determines that the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2020/2021 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB and 52ZY Local Government Finance Act 1992 and Section 4ZA Local Government Finance Act 1992: Referendums relating to Council Tax Increases.