Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

The Leader made no announcements.

A number of questions were asked by Members of the Public relating to the budget.  The relevant Cabinet Member responded accordingly.  No questions required a written response.

No questions were asked.

Councillor C A Holley, Convenor of the Service Improvement and Finance Scrutiny Performance Panel presented the views of the Panel in relation to the budget proposals.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Delivery submitted a report setting out the financial position of the Council relating to the 2016-2017 Revenue and Capital Budgets, including the delivery of budget savings.

RESOLVED that:

1)        The comments and variations detailed in the report and the actions in hand to address these be noted.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which set out the rationale and purpose of the Medium Term Financial Plan and detailed the major funding assumptions for the period and purposed a strategy to maintain a balanced budget.

RESOLVED that:

1)        The Medium Term Financial Plan 2018/19 to 2020/21 be recommended to Council as the basis for future service financial planning.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which set out the current position with regard to the Revenue Budget for 2017-2018.  It detailed:

·                    Financial Monitoring 2016-2017;

·                    The Local Government Finance Settlement 2017-2018;

·                    Budget Forecast 2017-2018;

·                    Specific Saving Proposals;

·                    Outcome of Budget Consultation;

·                    Staffing Implications;

·                    Reserves and Contingency Fund Requirements;

·                    The Budget Requirement and Council Tax 2017-2018;

·                    Summary of funding proposals;

·                    Risks and uncertainties.

The Leader of the Council and the Transformation and Performance Cabinet Member proposed the following amendments.

Statutory changes - advised by the S151 officer

RESOLVED that:

1)        The outcome of the formal consultation exercise be noted and changes to the Budget Proposals in Appendix D of the report as amended above be agreed, together with the position regarding delegated budgets as set out in section 4.10 of the report;

2)        The current Resource Gap identified in Section 4.5 of the report be noted, in line with the potential actions identified in Sections 9 and 10 of the report agreed as course of action to achieve a balanced Revenue Budget for 2016-2017;

3)        In addition to a review of current savings proposals Cabinet:

a)         Reviewed and Approved the Reserve Transfers recommended in the report;

b)         Agreed a level of Council Tax for 2017-2018 to be recommended to Council.

4)        Subject to the changes identified and listed above, Cabinet recommends to Council for approval:

a)         A Revenue Budget for 2017-2018;

b)         A Budget Requirement and Council Tax levy for 2017-2018.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which proposed a revised Capital Budget for 2016-2017 and a Capital Budget for 2017-2018 to 2020-2021.

The Leader of the Council proposed the following additions to the Capital Programme for 2017-2018.

RESOLVED that:

1)        The revised Capital Budget for 2016-2017 and a Capital Budget for 2017-2018 – 2020-2021 as detailed in Appendices A, B, C, D and E of the report as amended be recommended to Council for approval.

The Section 151 Officer and Director of Place submitted a joint report which proposed a Revenue Budget for 2017-2018 and a rent increase for properties within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

RESOLVED that the following budget proposals be recommended to Council for approval:

1)      Rents be increased in line with the Welsh Government rent setting policy as detailed in Section 3 of the report;

2)      Fees, charges and allowances be approved as outlined in Section 3 of the report;

3)      The Revenue Budget Proposals as detailed in Section 3 of the report.

The Section 151 Officer and Director of Place submitted a joint report which proposed a revised Capital Budget for 2016-2017 and a Capital Budget for 2017-2018 – 2020-2021.

RESOLVED that the following budget proposals be recommended to Council for approval:

1)           The transfers between schemes and the revised budgets for schemes in 2016-2017 be approved;

2)           The budget proposals for 2017-2018 – 2020-2021 be approved;

3)           Where individual schemes as shown in Appendix B of the report are programmed over the 4 year period, these are committed and approved and that their financial implications for funding over subsequent years also be approved.