Decision - General Fund Revenue Budget & Council Tax 2014/15

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

(1)               That the core elements of the 2014/15 General Fund Revenue Budget proposals contained in the body of this report which have been based on a threshold council tax increase, subject to recommendation (4) below, be approved, including:

·      The 2014/15 budget allocations to services as set out in appendix 1.

·      The council’s net General Fund budget requirement for 2014/15 of £225.3m.

·      The budget savings package as set out in appendix 4.

·      The contingency budget of £4.37m as set out in table 8.

·      The reserves allocations as set out in paragraph 3.39 and table 6.

·      The borrowing limit for the year commencing 1 April 2014 of £380m.

·      The annual Minimum Revenue Provision statement as set out in appendix 10.

·      The Prudential Indicators as set out in appendix 11 to this report.

·      The proposed responses to the scrutiny recommendations as set out in appendix 16.

(2)               That the Equalities Impact Assessments set out in Appendix 13 to the report be noted;

(3)               That the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy and resource projections for 2014/15 to 2019/20 as set out in appendix 8 to the report be noted;

(4)               That it be noted that supplementary information needed to set the overall council tax will be provided for the budget setting Council as listed in paragraph 4.4 of the report; and

(5)               That for the purposes of enacting the Business Rates discount and relief changes announced in the government’s Autumn Statement 2013, delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director of Finance & Resources to design and administer the scheme in accordance with government guidelines as set out in paragraph 3.17 of the report.