Agenda item

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet

1

approved the Vision Statement, Priority Themes, Corporate Priorities and Outcomes and their inclusion in the Corporate Plan and Support Service Plan;

2

approved the proposed revisions to Service Revenue Budgets (Policy Changes);

3

approved the sum of £81,896 be applied from Council Tax Collection Fund surpluses in reducing the Council Tax demand in 2016/17;

4

approved the sum of £560,025 be applied to Business Rates Collection Fund deficits in 2016/17;

5

approved that on 26^th November 2015, the Cabinet calculated the Council Tax Base 2016/17 for the whole Council area as 20,904 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")];

6

approved that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2016/17 is £3,381,222;

7

approved the following amounts as calculated for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

a. £55,054,127 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);

b. £51,672,905 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);

c. £3,381,222 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);

d.   £161.75 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;

8

approved the Council Tax level for the Borough Council for 2016/17 of £161.75 (an increase of £3.15 (1.99%) on the 2016/17 level of £158.60) at Band D;

9

approved an aggregate Council Tax (comprising the respective demands of the Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority) of £1,498.34 at Band D for 2016/17 be noted;

10

approved the Council Tax levels at each band for 2016/17;

11

approved the sum of £1,724,806 be transferred from General Fund Revenue Balances in 2016/17;

12

approved the Summary General Fund Revenue Budget for 2016/17;

13

approved the Provisional Budgets for 2017/18 to 2018/19, summarised at Appendix G, as the basis for future planning;

14

approved the acceptance of the proposed 4 year grant settlement;

15

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

16

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;

17

approved the proposed HRA Expenditure level of £14,884,180 for 2016/17;

18

approved the rents for Council House Tenants in General Accommodation for 2016/17 be reduced by an average of £0.88 per week (1%) to £87.38 (2015/16 £88.26), over a 48 week rent year;

19

approved rents for Council House Tenants in Supported Accommodation for 2016/17 be frozen at 2015/16 levels;

20

approved rents for Council House Tenants due for 52 weeks in 2016/17 be collected over 48 weeks;

21

approved the HRA deficit of £368,100 be financed through a transfer from Housing Revenue Account Balances in 2016/17;

22

approved the proposed 3 year General Fund Capital Programme of £8.014m, as detailed in Appendix I to the report and where it may be more cost effective for purchases to be made before 31^st March 2016 – that the spend be brought forward together with the associated budget;

23

approved the proposed 5 year Housing Capital Programme of £52.734m, as detailed in Appendix J to the report;

24

approved to delegate authority to Cabinet to approve/add new capital schemes to the capital programme where grant funding is received or there is no net additional cost to the Council;

25

approved the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, the Treasury Management Policy Statement, Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy and Annual Investment Statement 2016/17;

26

approved the Prudential and Treasury Indicators and Limits for 2016/17 to 2018/19 contained within;

27

approved the adoption of the Treasury Management Practices contained within ANNEX 7; and

28

approved the detailed criteria of the Investment Strategy 2016/17 contained in the Treasury Management Strategy within ANNEX 3.

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