Agenda item

(i)            Further to item 8 on the Summons, the Council received Recommendation I of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 February 2019.

(ii)          The Mayor requested that Members, in making the decision on this item, had regard to the Cabinet report of 21 February 2019, the sections on equalities, the equality impact assessments and the results of the budget consultation.

(iii)         Upon the meeting moving to the vote upon the substantive Recommendation it was carried.  The voting was as follows:

In Favour of the Motion:  Her Worshipful the Mayor Councillor Kareema Marikar, Councillors Ali, Dan Anderson, Assad, Borio, Butterworth, Brown, Dattani, Ferry, Fitzpatrick, Gilligan, Graham Henson, Maxine Henson, Jamie, Lee, Maru, Miles, Murphy-Strachan, O’Dell, Parekh, Varsha Parmar, Primesh Patel, Proctor, Ramchandani, Robson, Rekha Shah, Sachin Shah, Smith, Krishna Suresh, Sasikala Suresh and Swersky.

Against the Motion:  Councillors Almond, Ashton, Mrs Bath, Baxter, Benjamin, Chana, Chauhan, Greek, Halai, Hall, Hinkley, Hirani, Jogia, Lammiman, Dr Lewinson,  Mrs Mithani, Moshenson, Osborn, Mina Parmar, Anjana Patel, Pritesh Patel, Rabadia, Seymour, Stevenson, Thakker, and Wright.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the 2019/20 budget be approved, being mindful of the results of the various consultations and equality impact assessments, to enable the Council Tax for 2019/20 to be set (Appendix 2 to the Cabinet report refers);

(2)          the Model Council Tax Resolution 2019/20 be approved as set out at Appendix 11 to the Cabinet report;

(3)          in accordance with Section 38(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Chief Executive be instructed to place a notice in the local press of the amounts set under Resolution 2 above within a period of 21 days following the Council’s decision;

(4)          the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) be approved as set out in Appendix 2 to the Cabinet report;

(5)          the addition of £2.627m to the Social Care Reserve be noted as set out in paragraph 1.8 of the Cabinet report;

(6)          the balanced budget position for 2019/20 and the budget gaps of £16.795m and £9.345m for 2020/21 and 2021/22 respectively (table 4 of the Cabinet report refers) be noted;

(7)          the intention to increase Council Tax by 2.99% in 2019/20 be noted (paragraph 1.23 of the Cabinet report refers);

(8)          the proposal to increase Council Tax by a further 2.0% in 2019/20 be noted in respect of the Adult Social Care Precept (paragraph 1.23 of the Cabinet report refers);

(9)          the changes to schools funding for 2019/20, as set out in paragraphs 1.57 to 1.63 and Appendix 6 of the Cabinet report, be noted;

(10)       the assumed funding for the protection of social care in 2019/20 through the BCF, as set out in paragraphs 1.62 to 1.68 of the Cabinet report, be noted;

(11)       the draft Public Health budget for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix 7 to the Cabinet report, be approved;

(12)       all resident charges relating to child burials (paragraph 1.69, Appendix 18 of the Cabinet report refers) be removed;

(13)       the 2019/20 Members’ Allowance Scheme, as set out at Appendix 12 to the Cabinet report, be approved;

(14)       the 2019/20 Annual Pay Policy Statement for Council, as set out at Appendix 13 to the Cabinet report, be approved;

(15)       the Capital Receipts Flexibility Strategy, as set out at Appendix 15 to the Cabinet report, be approved;

(16)       the comments from the various stakeholder meetings, as set out at Appendix 14 to the Cabinet report, be noted.