Recommended to Council (8 February 2023):
(1) To approve a 2.99% increase in Guildford’s Band D Council Tax Charge for 2023/24 with resultant increases to the other council tax bands.
(2) To approve the General Fund Budget for 2023/24, as summarised in Appendix 2.
(3) To continue the Council’s existing Council Tax Support Scheme at the current levels.
(4) To approve the General Fund Fees and Charges for 2023/24 proposed in Appendix 4.
(5) To utilise the full amount of the New Homes Bonus received for 2023/24 for the purpose of contributing to identified one-off General Fund revenue cost pressures.
(6) To agree that the Joint Management Team undertakes a comprehensive service challenge and present a revised budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan to Full Council in July 2023 as described in this report.
Reason(s):
To enable the Council to set the Budget and Council Tax for the 2023-24 financial year. The General Fund Budget is a major decision for the Council and setting a balanced budget is a statutory requirement.
Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:
None.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.
1. That the transfers to/from reserves, as set out in Section 8 and Appendix 2 of the report submitted to the Executive be approved.
2. That the growth and savings items included in the General Fund Summary at Appendix 2 and set out in detail in Appendix 3 to the report be approved.
3. That the savings identified in the updated savings strategy at Appendix 4 to the report, to be delivered over the medium-term plan period, be approved.
4. That the financial risk register set out in Appendix 5 to the report be approved, and that the Executive notes that level of reserves are currently sufficient to meet the Council’s risks.
The Executive made the following recommendations to Council (9 February 2022):
1. That the budget, as set out in the General Fund Summary in Appendix 2 to the report be approved, and specifically that the Council Tax requirement for 2022-23 be set at £10,898,310.
2. That the proposed fees and charges for 2022-23 relating to General Fund services and attached at Appendix 6 to the report be adopted with effect from 1 April 2022.
3. That the Band D Council Tax for 2022-23 be set at £186.82, an increase of £5 (2.75%)
Reason:
To enable the Council to set the Council Tax requirement and council tax for the 2022-23 financial year.
Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:
None.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.
(1) That the budget assumptions used in the preparation of the 2022-23 draft budget and three year forward projections be approved.
(2) That the current position on the draft budget for 2022-23 and the budget shortfall anticipated over the three years to 2024-25, be noted.
(3) That the savings identified as part of the savings strategy for 2022-23 through to 2025-26 (Sections 11,12,13 of, and Appendix 3 to, the report submitted to the Executive) which have been included in the draft budget, be approved.
(4) That the in-year savings of £46,750 arising from the review of classical music, book festival, voluntary and CAB grants for 2021-22, which were not included as part of the 2021-22 budget, be approved.
(5) That the additional growth items identified in section 11 and Appendix 3 which have been included in the draft budget, be approved.
(6) That the proposal to Council to make the contributions to/from the Council’s various earmarked reserves for specific purposes as set out in section 9 of the report as part of the budget report in February 2022, be approved.
Reason:
To assist the Executive in the preparation of the General Fund estimates for 2022-23.
Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:
None.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.