Issue - meetings

Purpose:  To receive the recommendations of Cabinet and set a balanced budget for 2017/18.

That Council maintains the planned Council Tax rise at 3% as per the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) with the remaining gap at the figure as reported to be met wholly by reserves and balances to balance the budget.

The Chief Executive introduced the report to provide the recommendations of the Cabinet for the Council Fund Revenue Budget 2017/18.  He gave background information and referred to the stages in the budget setting process which had been beneficial in forward planning.  He reported that Stage One of the budget proposals for the service portfolios were approved by Council on 15 November 2016, and Stage Two proposals for corporate financial stewardship were approved by Council on 6 December 2016.  In addition they had been given prior approval by the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 30 November 2016. 

The Chief Executive and Corporate Finance Manager gave a joint presentation which covered the following areas:

·         budget strategy

·         Budget Stage One – portfolio business plans

·         Budget Stage Two – Corporate Financial Stewardship

·         remaining budget gap after stages one and two

·         limited options to close the budget gap

·         Domiciliary Care funding

·         Council Tax

·         school investment

·         council tax and use of reserves and balances

·         budget risks and issues                    

·         professional opinions

·         the future  

            Councillor Aaron Shotton thanked the Chief Executive, the Corporate Finance Manager and his team, Chief Officers and their teams, for the significant work undertaken during this period of unprecedented austerity and challenge on public services in preparing the budget for the next financial year.   He also thanked Members for the unified approach they had taken to protect critical key services and the robust and appropriate scrutiny which had been undertaken. He commented on the national case which had been made by Flintshire at national level, not only for Flintshire but on behalf of the local government ‘family’ over the pressures around social care and the additional funding which had been received in the final Settlement as a result.     He commented on the developing national health crisis in England which was symptomatic of the underfunding of the social care system and said that despite the pressures faced this year Flintshire had seen protection of social care budgets and a £3.2m increase in budget. 

Referring to the recommendations from Cabinet to close the gap and balance the budget Councillor Shotton said he was grateful for the 1.34% increase in school budgets and said that it was appropriate that reserves should be utilised to meet the remainder of the budget gap and that Council Tax be set at 3%.  He said that he believed that the purpose of reserves was to defend public services during difficult financial times.  In summary he commented on the need for a change in strategy at United Kingdom and Welsh Government level on the future funding for local government services.

Councillor Mike Peers reiterated the views expressed by Councillor Shotton and commented on the difficulty faced by Council to try to maintain services under budgetary pressures which would present greater challenges in the future.   He supported the 3% increase in Council Tax and use of reserves and welcomed the protection of education and social care service budgets.

Councillor Chris Bithell welcomed the 1.34% (£1.2m) uplift in school budgets in the current  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79