Agenda item

The Council is asked to approve the capital and revenue budgets, rent increases and Council Tax for 2010/2011. 

Discussion:

 

Members received a report which asked Council to approve the capital and revenue budgets, rent increases and Council tax for 2010/2011.

 

Councillor Jarrett, Portfolio Holder for Finance, supported by the Leader, Councillor Rodney Chambers, proposed that the Council:

 

1.            approve the capital budget proposals as set out in Appendix 1 to the report together with the capital additions set out below;

 

2.            approve the general fund gross, income and net revenue estimates as summarised in table 5 of the report together with the revenue items set out below. The total budget sum to be £381.058 million;

 

Proposal	Revenue recurring	Revenue non-recurring	Capital	Balance transfer
From the underspent Civic Centre demolition budget
Allotments			150,000
Prudential borrowing
Car parks invest to save			700,000
From the £1 million Collection Fund Surplus
Youth and Play	15,000
Medway Festival of Sport		55,000
Fuse match funding		50,000
Cadet 150		25,000
Youth Funding	100,000
Upnor Castle	5,500	12,000
Yellow Buses Extension	70,000
Castle Concerts	25,000
Will Adams Festival	30,000
English Festival	42,500
Community Hubs		118,000
Disabled play facilities		66,000
Capstone Green Flag		70,000
Maidstone Road Sports Ground Toilet Conversion	7,000	12,000
Grain Country Park		35,000
Central Theatre Water Incursion		50,000
Children’s Lawyer/Independent Reviewing (IRO) Officer	96,000
Companion Passes	66,000
Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC) initiatives	2,500	12,500
Licensing	2,500	20,000
Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Funding	20,000
Disabled Parking Bays	35,000
Balance of Headroom	-60,000
	457,000	525,500	0	0
From the £3.2Million General Reserve
Transfer to the Revenue Contingency				500,000
Approved capital funding (see paragraph 10.2 of the report)				332,000
Council Tax reduction to 2.455%	470,000
Pothole repairs		100,000
Youth Facilities			100,000
Capital Funding in lieu of Capital receipts				1,700,000
	470,000	100,000	100,000	2,532,000

 

3.                 note the Kent Police Authority precept requirement;

 

4.                 note the Kent Fire and Rescue Service precept requirement;

 

5.                 note the parish council precept requirements of £316,815 as detailed at Appendix 4 of this report;

 

6.                 agree the schedule of precept instalment dates as set out in section 12 of the report;

 

7.                 approve the basic rate of council tax at band D for 2010/2011, before adding the police, fire and parish precepts, at £1,119.15;

 

8.                 as part of the budget proposals, to approve fees and charges, as recommended by Cabinet and set out in the booklet 'Medway Council - Fees and Charges April 2010' as set out in Appendix 7 to the report;

 

9.                 approve the following with regard to the Housing Revenue Account:

 

(i)               The budget proposed as summarised at Appendix 5 to the report;

 

(ii)             The proposed increase in rents averaging £0.99 for a 50 week collection;

 

(iii)           That service charges for 2010/2011 reflect the costs incurred in providing that service, where possible, and that costs increase by no more than 5.0% over that charged in 2009/2010. The average increase will be 1.72%; and

 

(iv)            That garage rent charges are held at 2009/2010 levels.

 

10.             adopt the formal resolution for the budget requirement and schedule of council tax charges for 2010/2011 as set out in Appendix 6 to this report and to incorporate the amendments made above;

 

11.             to authorise the Chief Finance Officer to make the requisite adjustments to directorate budgets to incorporate the detailed analysis of the corporate savings identified in Table 4 in the report;

 

12.             to consult on reducing the hours of the Political Assistants to the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups to part time posts, with the Employment Matters Committee considering the outcome of that consultation.

 

Councillor Griffiths, seconded by Councillor Godwin, proposed the following amendment: 

 

“This Council agrees from August 2010 to introduce a fully free bus pass scheme for 11 to 18 year olds engaged in full time education with bus pass to be usable at all times. The £750,000 cost of introducing this scheme to be funded from the anticipated surplus in the Council Tax Collection Fund.”

 

In accordance with rule 11.4 of the Council’s constitution at the request of six Members, a vote on the proposed amendment was recorded as follows: 

 

For: 

Councillors Bowler, Burt, Crack, Esterson, Godwin, Tony Goulden, Mrs Val Goulden, Griffiths, Hubbard, Juby, Sheila Kearney, Stephen Kearney, Maple, Murray, Ruparel, Shaw, Smith, Stamp and Sutton  – Total – 19 

 

Against: 

Councillors Andrews, Avey, Baker, Janice Bamber, Ken Bamber, Brake, Brice, Bright, Bhutia, Carr, Mrs Diane Chambers, Rodney Chambers, Chishti, Mrs Chitty, Clarke, Doe, Mrs Etheridge, Filmer, Griffin, Mrs Haydock, Hewett, Hicks, Jarrett, Kemp, Mackinlay, Maisey, Mason, O’Brien, Reckless, Royle, Wicks and Wildey – Total - 32

 

The amendment was therefore lost. 

 

Councillor Juby, seconded by Councillor Ruparel, proposed the following amendment: 

 

“This Council agrees to freeze Residents’ Parking permits at the current price of £25 for the next three years. It also agrees to freeze the price of business parking passes in Residential Parking Zones at £120 for the purpose of helping business during the current recession. This will be paid for by increased enforcement in existing permit areas.”

 

Councillor Jarrett, in accordance with rule 10.4.2 of the Council Rules, agreed to alter the substantive motion to include this amendment with the agreement of the meeting and the supporter, Councillor Rodney Chambers.

 

In accordance with rule 11.4 of the Council Rules at the request of six Members, a vote on the proposed substantive motion was recorded as follows: 

 

For: 

Councillors Andrews, Avey, Baker, Janice Bamber, Ken Bamber, Brake, Brice, Bright, Bhutia, Carr, Mrs Diane Chambers, Rodney Chambers, Chishti, Mrs Chitty, Clarke, Doe, Mrs Etheridge, Filmer, Griffin, Mrs Haydock, Hewett, Hicks, Jarrett, Kemp, Mackinlay, Maisey, Mason, O’Brien, Reckless, Royle, Wicks and Wildey – Total - 32

 

Against: 

Councillors Bowler, Esterson, Godwin, Griffiths, Hubbard, Maple, Murray and Mrs Shaw – Total – 8

 

Abstain: 

Councillors Burt, Crack, Tony Goulden, Mrs Val Goulden, Juby, Sheila Kearney, Stephen Kearney, Ruparel, Smith, Stamp and Sutton – Total – 11

 

Decision:

 

(a)              The Council approved the capital budget proposals as set out in Appendix 1 to the report together with the capital additions set out below;

 

(b)              The Council approved the general fund gross, income and net revenue estimates as summarised in table 5 of the report together with the revenue items set out below. The total budget sum to be £381.058 million;

 

Proposal	Revenue recurring	Revenue non-recurring	Capital	Balance transfer
From the underspent Civic Centre demolition budget
Allotments			150,000
Prudential borrowing
Car parks invest to save			700,000
From the £1 million Collection Fund Surplus
Youth and Play	15,000
Medway Festival of Sport		55,000
Fuse match funding		50,000
Cadet 150		25,000
Youth Funding	100,000
Upnor Castle	5,500	12,000
Yellow Buses Extension	70,000
Castle Concerts	25,000
Will Adams Festival	30,000
English Festival	42,500
Community Hubs		118,000
Disabled play facilities		66,000
Capstone Green Flag		70,000
Maidstone Road Sports Ground Toilet Conversion	7,000	12,000
Grain Country Park		35,000
Central Theatre Water Incursion		50,000
Children’s Lawyer/Independent Reviewing (IRO) Officer	96,000
Companion Passes	66,000
Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre (MALSC) initiatives	2,500	12,500
Licensing	2,500	20,000
Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) Funding	20,000
Disabled Parking Bays	35,000
Balance of Headroom	-60,000
	457,000	525,500	0	0
From the £3.2Million General Reserve
Transfer to the Revenue Contingency				500,000
Approved capital funding (see paragraph 10.2 of the report)				332,000
Council Tax reduction to 2.455%	470,000
Pothole repairs		100,000
Youth Facilities			100,000
Capital Funding in lieu of Capital receipts				1,700,000
	470,000	100,000	100,000	2,532,000

 

(c)               The Council noted the Kent Police Authority precept requirement;

 

(d)              The Council noted the Kent Fire and Rescue Service precept requirement;

 

(e)               The Council noted the parish council precept requirements of £316,815 as detailed at Appendix 4 to this report;

 

(f)                 The Council agreed the schedule of precept instalment dates as set out in section 12 of the report;

 

(g)               Approve the basic rate of council tax at band D for 2010/2011, before adding the police, fire and parish precepts, at £1,119.15;

 

(h)               The Council, as part of the budget proposals, approved the fees and charges, as recommended by Cabinet and set out in the booklet 'Medway Council - Fees and Charges April 2010' as set out in Appendix 7 to the report, as amended by the decision on companion bus passes above and on parking permits (see decision 13 below);

 

(i)                 The Council approved the following with regard to the Housing Revenue Account:

 

(i)               The budget proposed as summarised at Appendix 5 to the report;

 

(ii)             The proposed increase in rents averaging £0.99 for a 50 week collection;

 

(iii)           That service charges for 2010/2011 reflect the costs incurred in providing that service, where possible, and that costs increase by no more than 5.0% over that charged in 2009/2010. The average increase will be 1.72%; and

 

(iv)            That garage rent charges are held at 2009/2010 levels.

 

(j)                 The Council adopted the formal resolution for the budget requirement and schedule of council tax charges for 2010/2011 as set out in Appendix 6 to this report and incorporated the amendments made above;

 

(k)               The Council authorised the Chief Finance Officer to make the requisite adjustments to directorate budgets to incorporate the detailed analysis of the corporate savings identified in Table 4 in the report;

 

(l)                 The Council agreed to consult on reducing the hours of the Political Assistants to the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups to part time posts, with the Employment Matters Committee considering the outcome of that consultation.

 

(m)            The Council agreed to freeze Residents’ Parking permits at the current price of £25 for the next three years. It also agreed to freeze the price of business parking passes in Residential Parking Zones at £120 for the purpose of helping business during the current recession. This will be paid for by increased enforcement in existing permit areas.

 

(Note: the total budget sum is £379.947 million and not £381.058 million as stated in paragraph 18.2 of the recommendations circulated at the meeting and recorded above. This is a typing error which will be corrected when these minutes are presented to the Council for approval on 15th April 2010).