Agenda item

The Main Debate concerns the setting of the 2019/20 Council Tax and the General Fund and Capital Budgets. The recommendations from the Executive are set out in each of the attached reports.

 

Reports 5A and 5B and Appendices attached.

The Main Debate related to item 5A and item 5B on the agenda.

 

The Leader then presented the 2019/2020 Budget and moved the Motion, recommendations of the Executive and the formal Council Tax Resolution that was circulated around the Chamber.

 

After a full debate, a recorded vote* was taken and it was RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the 2018/19 revised net expenditure on the General Fund of £10,063,500 is approved.

2.         That a final General Fund Budget for 2019/20 of £8,802,520 is approved for consultation purposes, with a contribution from balances of £48,446 and a Band D Council Tax of £210.57. This is reflected in the formal Council Tax Resolution 3 – 8 below.

3.            That the following are approved:

 

a.           the revised working revenue estimates for the year 2018/19 amounting to £10,063,500 and the revenue estimates for 2019/20 amounting to £8,802,520;

 

b.           the contribution from balances totalling £1,368,639 in 2018/19;

 

c.            the contribution from balances totalling £48,446 in 2019/20.

 

4.            That it is noted that at its meeting on 23 January 2019 the Executive calculated the amount of 27,329.9 Band D equivalent properties as its council tax base for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011.

 

5.            That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as  amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011:

a.	£84,308,395	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)(a) to (f) of the Act, less the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d)
b.	£78,553,484	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the Act.
c.	£5,754,911	Being the amount by which the aggregate at 3a above exceeds the aggregate at 3b above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year.
d.	£210.57	Being the amount at 3c divided by the amount at 2 above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B (1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year
e.	Valuation Bands
	A	£  140.38
	B	£  163.78
	C	£  187.17
	D	£  210.57
	E	£  257.36
	F	£  304.16
	G	£  350.95
	H	£  421.14

 

Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at 3d. above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

6.   a.       That it is noted that for the year 2019/20 Hertfordshire County Council have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of the dwellings shown below:

 

                 Valuation Bands

 

               Basic Amount           Adult Social                        2019/20

             Of Council Tax          Care Charge                Council Tax

 

A                      £ 842.78                    £ 63.85                      £ 906.63

 

B                       £ 983.22                    £ 74.51                   £ 1,057.73

 

C                   £ 1,123.70                    £ 85.14                   £ 1,208.84

 

D                   £ 1,264.15                    £ 95.79                   £ 1,359.94

 

E                   £ 1,545.08                  £ 117.07                   £ 1,662.15

 

F                   £ 1,825.99                  £ 138.37                   £ 1,964.36

 

G                   £ 2,106.93                  £ 159.64                   £ 2,266.57

 

H                   £ 2,528.30                  £ 191.58                   £ 2,719.88

 

b.             That it is noted that for the year 2019/20 Hertfordshire Police Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and amended by Section 27 of the Police and Magistrates’ Court Act 1994, for each of the categories of the dwellings shown below:

 

Valuation Bands

 

       A                     £ 125.33

 

B                     £ 146.22

 

C                     £ 167.11

 

D                     £ 188.00

 

E                     £ 229.78

 

F                      £ 271.56

 

G                     £ 313.33

 

H                     £ 376.00

 

7.            That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3e. and 4a. and b. above, the Council in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts for council tax for the year 2019/20 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

Valuation Bands

 

A                      £1,172.34

 

B                      £1,367.73

 

C                     £1,563.12

 

D                     £1,758.51

 

E                      £2,149.29

 

F                      £2,540.08

 

G                     £2,930.85

 

H                     £3,517.02

 

 

8.         To determine in accordance with Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992 that the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2019/20 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved by the Secretary of State under Section 52ZC having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3e.

9.         That the General Fund Summary as shown at Appendix A to the report, is approved.

10.       That the Risk Assessments of General Fund Balances and the minimum level of General Fund reserves of £2,671,410, as shown at Appendix B to the report, is approved.

 

11.       That the contingency sum of £400,000 within which the Executive can approve supplementary estimates, is approved for 2019/20, (unchanged from 2018/19).

12.       That the 2019/20 proposed Fees and Charges increase of £219,790 (Appendix C to the report) are approved.

13.       That the 2019/20 proposed Financial Security Options of £798,552 (Appendix D to this report and including fees and charges detailed in Appendix C) are approved.

14.       That 2019/20 business rate gains totalling £400,000 above the baseline assessment be ring fenced for town centre regeneration (SG1), (paragraph 4.6.7 of the report refers) are approved.

15.       That 2019/20 business rate gains totalling £364,830 above the baseline assessment be used to increase General Fund balances for 2019/20, (paragraph 4.6.7 of the report refers) are approved.

16.       That 2019/20 business rate gains totalling £275,000 above the baseline assessment be transferred to the NDR allocated reserve for 2019/20, (paragraph 4.6.7 of the report refers) are approved.

17.       That the 2019/20 Council Tax Support scheme is approved as set out in section 4.8 to this report.

18.       That the advice of the Assistant Director (Finance and Estates) on the robustness of the draft budget and the adequacy of reserves (Appendix G) is noted.

 

19.       That the following individual initiatives are noted:

 

·         £26,000 to fund a spring clean for the Town, with the Council’s Environment Teams working with community groups such as green space volunteers and resident action groups;

·         £5,000 to support road safety initiatives around schools to match fund spending from County Councillor highways budgets;

·         £1,000 to support events to mark the anniversary of 100 years of council housing this year;

·         £1,000 to work with the Co-op in Stevenage on a Red Box project to provide free sanitary products in Stevenage schools; and

·         £1,000 to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of Stevenage Day.

 

*Details of the recorded vote will be published in the Minutes of the meeting.