Agenda item - Mayor's Communications.

To receive communications from the Mayor.

85.1         The Mayor stated that Procedural Rules would need to be suspended for Items 86 to 89 to the extent necessary to enable the business to be dealt with as set out in the procedural note circulated as part of the addendum.  She was also minded to use the electronic voting system only for the vote on the amendments and the substantive budget as had been the case at the meeting the previous week.  The vote of each individual councillor would be recorded in the minutes to comply with the new regulations and she hoped Members would agree that the use of electronic voting or recorded votes would not be necessary for other purposes.

85.2         The Mayor stated that before she moved the adoption of the budget procedural rules for the present meeting, she wished to remind Members that there was a legal duty on the Council to set a budget for the 2014/15 financial year.  This positive duty to set a budget meant that the normal rule whereby, if the Council fails to agree a proposal, the status quo prevails, was not an option.   She hoped that the council would be able to set a lawful budget in the first round this evening.  In the unlikely event of Council failing to agree the substantive budget in the first round of votes, there would be an adjournment and any Political Group or Groups would be able to put alternative amendments.  For the purposes of today, the requirement under procedure rule 13.7 which states that Council cannot reverse a decision taken in the previous 6 months shall not apply.

85.3         The Mayor stated that the proposed special budget procedure rules were detailed in the papers before Members and she then moved that the Council procedure rules be suspended to the extent necessary to enable the meeting to be conducted under the rules as modified by the annexe and the procedural note as circulated.

85.4         The motion was carried.