Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Johnson introduced the report which provided an update on the Council’s revenue budget position for the 2024/25 financial year.

Following the meetings of Cabinet and Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee in July, budget workshops had been held for Members on 31^st July to allow Members the opportunity to request any further detail on the overall budget position and timeline for formal budget setting.

The latest budget position for 2024/25 was reflected in the report including an update on the work undertaken by Portfolios over the Summer.  The Council still had a major challenge to identify solutions that would enable it to agree a legal and balanced budget by March next year which it needed to address with urgency.

The Corporate Finance Manager explained that two Member workshops had been arranged and would take place on 5^th and 10^th October where details of the latest position would be shared.  Jon Rae, Director of Resources at the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) would also be in attendance.

The details of the Settlement were likely to be received towards the end of December.

The Democratic Services Manager explained that the report had been submitted to Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous week where a detailed discussion took place.  Members recognised that difficult decisions would be required and asked questions on what radical proposals would be forthcoming. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the revised additional budget requirement for the 2024/25 financial year be received and noted and referred to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committees; and

(b)       That the ongoing work on budget solutions that would need to be urgently considered to enable the Council to set a legal and balanced budget in February 2024 be noted.