Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection, which seeks approval of the budget proposals, as described in the report, as its preferred option for the purposes of further consultation)

That the Executive:

(1)  agree the budget proposals, as described in the report, as its preferred option for the purposes of further consultation; and

(2)  delegate authority to the Leader to review the Council's participation in a business rates pooling arrangement with six of the Lincolnshire District Council's (Boston Borough, City of Lincoln, East Lindsey, North Kesteven, South Kesteven and West Lindsey) in light of the Provisional Local Government Settlement and notify the Government four weeks after the notification of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director of Finance and Public Protection, which sought approval of the budget proposals for 2017/18, as detailed within the report, as the preferred option for the purposes of further consultation.   Additional information was tabled at the meeting, which covered an update to the Council Budget 2017/18; the Community and Public Safety Scrutiny Committee budget workshop comments; and comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on the financial standing of the County Council.

The County Finance Officer introduced the report to the Executive and in doing so, advised Members that the report described the basis on which the proposals had been developed for the purposes of internal and external consultation.  The Executive was also asked to delegate authority to the Leader to review the Council's participation in a business rates pooling arrangement with six of the Lincolnshire District Council's (Boston Borough; City of Lincoln; East Lindsey; North Kesteven, South Kesteven and West Lindsey) in light of the Provisional Local Government Settlement and notify the Government four weeks after the notification of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.  

The report set out a one-year financial plan for revenue and capital budgets.  It was noted that for the third year running the Council was only able to set a one-year budget.  Members were advised that this was due to the continued significant reduction in government funding, growing cost pressures from demand-led services, such as adult and children's social care, waste disposal and the Council's responsibility to pay staff and contractors the National Living Wage.  The pressures faced by the Council meant that it was not practicable, at present, to develop sustainable long-term financial plans beyond the next 12 months.

All areas of service expenditure had been reviewed to identify cost pressures which must be funded and savings which could be made, through efficiencies and by reducing the level of services provided.  The Council remained aware of its high priority areas, but no service had been exempted from helping the Council to deliver its savings target.  The high priority areas were detailed on page 12 of the report.

On an annual basis the County Council had the opportunity to review the level of Council Tax.  It was noted that central government set thresholds, above which a local authority would be required to hold a referendum for council tax increases.  For 2017/18 it was proposed that this threshold would be 2.00%, plus a further 2.00% for authorities with Adult Social Care responsibilities to deal with pressures in this area including demographic pressures and the impact of the national living wage.  It was advised that a council tax increase of 3.95% (1.95% plus a further 2.00% for the social care 'precept') was proposed.

In developing the one-year financial plan for 2016/17 the Council had considered all areas of current spending, levels of income and council tax and use of one-off funding (including use of reserves and capital receipts) to set a balanced budget. 

The Chairman  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41