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Agenda and minutes

Budget, Council - Tuesday, 26th February, 2013 6.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, B79 7BZ. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 01827 709264 

Items
No. Item

55.

Announcement by the Mayor

Minutes:

The meeting commenced with a minutes silence as a mark of respect following the death of Councillor Brian Beale.

56.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors L Bates, K Gant and S Pritchard.

57.

To receive the Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 69 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2012 were approved and signed as a correct record.

 

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

58.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

 

When Members are declaring a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

Minutes:

None

59.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader, Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

Announcement by the Leader of the Council

 

The new Committee Places that have previously been circulated by the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition following the death of Councillor Brian Beale were confirmed.

60.

Question Time:

(i)                 To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 10.

 

(ii)               To answer questions from members of the Council pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 11

 

Minutes:

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL                NO.1

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor P Standen will ask the Leader of the Council, the following question:-

 

"Does the Leader of the council agree with the comments made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles in the Telegraph on 27th January 2013, when he accused councils like Tamworth who are proposing to raise their council tax by slightly under 2% of ‘cheating their taxpayers’ and of being ‘Democracy dodgers’?"

 

The Leader of the Council gave the following reply:

 

Thank you Cllr Standen for your question.

 

Simple answer is NO I do not agree with the Secretary of State on this issue. I agree that all taxes should be kept as low as possible, but I also accept sometimes harsh reality kicks in and hard choices must be made.

 

However, in regard to “democracy dodgers” as the Secretary of State so eloquently puts it let me quote from a letter I received on the 30th January 2013 from Brandon Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Department of Communities and Local Government.

 

He states “You will be aware that the government is prepared to facilitate action where authorities choose to burden tax payers with excessive increases. On 19 December 2012, the Secretary of State proposed a council tax referendum principle of 2%, with some low taxing Shire District Councils, Fire and Rescue Authorities and Police and Crime Commissioners given additional flexibility to set a £5 increase.

 

Having taken account of representations, the final principles report will be put to the House of Commons for approval alongside the final local government finance report in February. If an authority raises its relevant amount of Council Tax by more than the level of the principles, the local electorate will have a right to approve or veto this increase in a binding referendum”.

 

As stated Brandon Lewis MP is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Department of Communities and Local Government. Let’s recall who is the actual Secretary of State. That’s quite correct Eric Pickles MP. I am happy to provide a copy of the correspondence to any member who wishes to see it.

 

I don’t take my advice/guidance from statements in the national media; I take those direct from Parliamentary reports / legislation.

 

I understand what Mr Pickles is trying to say, but they set the threshold and before a democratic referendum is called, the threshold is 2%.

 

Thank you Madam Mayor.

 

Supplementary Question

 

Thank you for your reply. What do you think Eric Pickles meant when he said in the same report ‘Anybody using loop holes will lose out next year’?

 

The Leader of the Council gave the following response:

 

I have no idea, that is a question for Mr Pickles and I suggest you write to Eric Pickles to find out.

 

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL                NO.2

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor P Standen will ask the Leader of the Council, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

61.

Corporate Vision, Priorities Plan, Budget & Medium Term Financial Strategy 2013/14 pdf icon PDF 531 KB

(Report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet seeking approval for the Single Corporate Vision & Strategic Priorities for 2013/14 was considered.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Council approved:

 

1

The Single Corporate Vision and Strategic Priorities for 2013/14;

 

2

The proposed revisions to Service Revenue Budgets;

 

3

The sum of £10,505 be applied from Collection Fund surpluses in reducing the Council tax demand in 2013/14;

 

4

It be noted that on 13 December 2012, the Council calculated the Council Tax Base 2013/14 for the whole Council area as 20,199 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)];

 

5

Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2013/14 is £3,080,349;

 

6

The following amounts as calculated for the year 2013/14 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Act:

  1. £54,445,138 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act (Outgoings excluding internal GF Recharges);
  2. £51,364,789 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act (Income excluding internal GF Recharges);
  3. £3,080,349 being the amount by which the aggregate at 6(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 6(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (Item R in the formula in Section 31A(4) of the Act);
  4. £152.50 being the amount at 6(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (at 4 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;

 

7

The Council Tax level for Tamworth Borough Council for 2013/14 of £152.50 (an increase of £2.95 (1.97%) on the 2012/13 level at Band D;

 

8

An aggregate Council Tax (comprising the respective demands of Tamworth Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority) of £1,425.00 at Band D for 2013/14 be noted;

 

9

The Council Tax levels at each band for 2013/14;

 

10

The sum of £756,300 be transferred from General Fund Revenue Balances in 2013/14;

 

11

The Summary General Fund Revenue Budget for 2013/14;

 

12

The Provisional Budgets for 2014/15 to 2015/16 as the basis for future planning;

 

13

The minimum level for balances of £500,000 to be held for each of the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, General Capital Fund and Housing Capital Fund;

 

14

Cabinet be authorised to release funding from the General Contingency budget and that the release of funding for Specific Contingency items be delegated to the Corporate Management Team in consultation with the Leader of the Council;

 

15

The proposed HRA Expenditure level of £13,993,100 for 2013/14;

 

16

Rents for Council House Tenants in 2013/14 be increased by an average of £3.06 per week (3.8%) to £82.70, in line with the Government’s Rent Restructuring rules;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.