Issue - decisions

General Fund Budget 2020/2021

05/02/2020 - Summary General Fund Revenue Budget 2020/2021

Cabinet

 

(a)        took into account the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B (white pages), and summarised at Appendix A (blue page), with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2020/2021 of £65.899 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £41.617 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £24.282 million;

 

(b)       Acknowledged the key factors which have led to the proposed General Fund Revenue Budget, with service pressures summarised at Appendix C (green pages) and offsetting efficiency savings/policy options summarised at Appendix D (yellow pages);

 

(c)        Acknowledged that the 2020/2021 General Fund Revenue Budget gross expenditure is covered by forecast income sources (assuming no change in Government grant) and, therefore, any addition(s) to expenditure that are made by the Cabinet or Council will need to identify matching savings and/or additional income if the proposed level of Council Tax is not to change;

 

(d)       Approved the 2020/2021 General Fund Revenue Budget taking into account the statement by the Chief Finance Officer on the risks and robustness of the estimates as required under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 (reproduced at Appendix F);

 

(e)        Set the Council Tax Requirement for 2020/2021 at £9,562,361;

 

(f)         Approved an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £150.31, plus the relevant amounts required by the precepts of the Parish Councils, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Commissioner and the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority;

 

(g)       Authorised the Head of Finance, on the basis of the proposals set out in the report, to prepare the formal Council Tax Resolution for presentation to Council at its scheduled meeting on 20 February 2020;

 

(h)       Approved the estimates of the amounts required to be made under the Non-domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013 as set out in paragraphs 31 to 34;

 

(i)         Approved the acceptance of any grants made during 2019/2020 by the Government under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 in respect of Business Rates; 

 

(j)         Approve the use of the additional income from the Business Rate Pool, estimated at £1,100,000 in 2020/2021, for transfer to the established Renewables Reserve for priority projects;

 

(k)        Subject to any changes to the recommendations above, recommend to Full Council:

 

(i)         The 2020/2021 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £24.329 million;

 

(ii)        The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund (Council Tax Requirement) of £9.562 million in 2020/2021 (based on the Provisional Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £150.31.