Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached

Contact:  James Walton.  Tel. 01743 258915

It was proposed by the Leader Councillor Lezley Picton and seconded by the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate Resources, Councillor Gwilym Butler, that the report of the Executive Director of Resources, a copy of which is attached to the signed minutes and the recommendations contained therein, be received, and agreed.

By way of amendment Councillor Julia Buckley proposed that the following should be added to the resolution: -

5B - Council to offer a Council Tax rebate equivalent to the rise (effectively a Council Tax freeze) to all those residents currently in receipt of benefits and living in properties whose Council Tax is banded A or B for 2023/24

This was seconded by Councillor Caroline Bagnall

On being put to a recorded vote with 27 Members voting for, 36 against and no abstentions as follows:

FOR:

Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Boddington, Buckley, Clarke, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Hartin, Houghton, Isherwood, Kerr, Kidd, Moseley, Mosley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Towers, Turley, Vasmer, Wagner, M Williams and Wilson

AGAINST:

Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Broomhall, Burchett, Butler, Dakin, Elner, D Evans, Gittins, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Lynch, Macey, Marshall, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Price, Schofield, Thomas, Wild and B Williams.

The amendment fell

On being put to a recorded vote with 38 Members voting for, 25 against and no abstentions as follows:

FOR:

Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Broomhall, Burchett, Butler, Dakin, Elner, D Evans, Gittins, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Lynch, Macey, Marshall, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Price, Schofield, Thomas, Towers, Turley, Wild and B Williams.

AGAINST:

Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Boddington, Buckley, Clarke, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Hartin, Houghton, Isherwood, Kerr, Kidd, Moseley, Mosley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Vasmer, Wagner, M Williams and Wilson

It was RESOLVED

That members:

A.    Approve a 4.99% Council tax rise (a 2.99% increase to Council Tax and a 2% increase to Adult Social Care Precept) resulting in a basic amount of council tax for a Band D property of £1,639.01 in the billing authority’s area, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (section 42b).

B.    In accordance with the provisions of Section 40 (2) of the 1992 Act, approve the amount of Council Tax calculated for each category of dwelling in the billing authority’s area to be as follows:

C.    Approve that a total precept of £193,577,046.

D.    Approve the formal council tax resolution as set out in Appendix 4 to determine the levels of Council Tax for Shropshire Council for 2023/24.

E.    Approve the 2023/24 budget of £645.741m outlined in the Budget Book at Appendix 3. 

F.    Note the key changes to the MTFS as outlined in Appendix 1 since the December update of the MTFS and the advice relating to those changes, in particular

·         The public consultation and related findings

·         The Alternative Budget process and findings

·         The Financial Settlement and implications for the Council

·         The Collection Fund outturn and the impact on next year

·         The latest budget forecast for the current year and the resulting likely impact on reserves in this year and next (also included in the MTFS assumptions)

G.    Note the revised funding gap for the years 2024/25 to 2027/28.

H.    Note the Statement of the Chief Financial Officer on the Robustness of Estimates and Adequacy of Reserves as set out in Sections 6.1 – 6.3 of the MTFS at Appendix 1.

I.      Approve the recommended level of general fund balances to support the 2023/24 revenue budget of £40.458m, noting that the projected balance is presently significantly below this for 2023/24.

J.     Note the projected recommended level of general reserves for the following four years at £33.278m in 2024/25, £33.096m in 2025/26, £32.366m in 2026/27 and £32.875m in 2027/28.

K.    Note the continued use of the Policy for Flexibility around the use of Capital Receipts as detailed in section 8.1 of the MTFS at Appendix 1.

L.     Agree the adoption of the Capital Strategy 2022/23 – 2027/28 attached as Appendix 2.

M.   Note the prioritised capital schemes identified at Appendix 2 section 8 including the need to identify and confirm funding sources for these schemes.

N.    Agree the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix 2 section 6 and Annex B to the Capital Strategy.

O.    Agree the Pay and Rewards Policy for all Council staff for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 5.