Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The Mayor announced that it was his intention to run one single debate on the motion but then take separate named votes at the end of discussion on the 2024/25 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy recommendations 1-4 and 6 and on the statutory calculations for the Council Tax precept (recommendation 5).

Councillor Paul Stuart formally moved the Motion, which was seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, and which was set out as a recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee of 13 February 2024, minute 111.

The motion having been formally moved and seconded, Councillor Paul Stuart spoke to his motion.

Councillor Jeff Green, as Leader of the Conservative Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

Councillor Pat Cleary, as Leader of the Green Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

Councillor Phil Gilchrist, as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

The budget proposals were then debated.

The Council were then invited to vote on the 2024/25 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy recommendations 1-4 and 6

The Council voted as follows:

For the Motion (64) – Councillors A Ainsworth, C Baldwin, P Basnett ,G Bennett, S Bennett, J Bird, M Booth, A Brame, H Cameron, C Carubia, P Cleary, C Cooke, T Cox, A Davies, GJ Davies, G Davies, S Foulkes, A Gardner, P Gilchrist, H Gorman, N Graham, JE Green, EA Grey, J Grier, B Hall, A Hodson, K Hodson, P Jobson, G Jenkinson, J Johnson, T Jones, M Jordan, S Kelly, B Kenny, J Stewart Laing, T Laing, E Lamb, I Lewis, L Luxon-Kewley, P Martin, C McDonald, G McManus, J McManus, R Molyneux, S Mountney, K Murphy, T Murphy, A Onwuemene, R Pitt, C Povall, S Powell-Wilde, H Raymond, L Rennie, M Redfern, J Robinson, M Skillicorn, K Stuart, P Stuart, M Sullivan, E Tomeny, J Walsh, J Williamson, V Wilson, G Wood

Against the motion – none

Abstention – Councillor J Williams

It was therefore resolved – that

Resolved (64 for, 1 abstention) - That,

1. Authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer, following consultation with the Chair and Group Spokespersons of the Policy & Resources Committee, to do anything necessary – including minor financial adjustments – to give effect to the proposals contained in this report and address any funding changes, if any.

2. the response to the financial proposals forming a draft budget for the purposes of consultation under section 65 of the Local Government Finance Act, set out as below be noted:

Appendix 1 Budget Proposals

Appendix 2 Budget consultation

Appendix 3 Policy & Service Committee budget proposals feedback Appendix 4 The Dedicated Schools Grant Schools Budget

Appendix 5 Provisional Council Tax Statutory Calculations

Appendix 6 Discretionary Rate Relief Policy

Appendix 7 Medium-Term Financial Strategy

Appendix 8 Budget proposal changes since November 2023

Appendix 9 Council Tax Base Calculation Process and Associated Background Information.

3. a Revenue Budget of £399.603m be approved, noting that the Section 151 Officer in liaison with the Monitoring  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81

The Director of Finance submitted the report setting out the draft budget for the 2024/25 financial year. The draft budget was based on the extensive work and analysis undertaken by officers and the finance working group  and was presented for consideration by the Policy and Resources Committee. Members were informed that if approved, the budget and medium term financial strategy would be presented to Council on 26 February 2024.

The report contained several appendices, some of which were required to be published as part of the statutory annual budget process and others that provided the Committee with relevant information relating to short and medium-term budget planning, inclusive of consultation aspects and financial assumptions. It was reported that those assumptions would potentially change and that they would be reported through the Council’s governance processes for budget monitoring to the Policy and Service Committees.

The 2024/25 draft budget had been compiled using the figures in the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024/25 as the final settlement was expected to be published after the publication date of the report, in early February 2024. Any material changes to the final settlement that impact on the assumptions included within this report were reported verbally to the Committee at the meeting. The budget proposals had been produced following extensive engagement of the Policy & Resources Committee, Finance sub-working group and other Policy and Service Committees during the last year. This process had identified the need to reflect the Council Plan priorities, particularly the delivery of high quality, efficient, universal services to all residents.

The Chair thanked all Members and officers for their full participation in the budget setting process, which had enabled the Director of Finance to submit the report and recommendations for Members consideration this evening. The Chair explained that he had contacted Group Leaders with a proposed additional recommendation to those published as follows.

“6. Authorise the reinstalment of the one-off Saving of £400k from the temporary closure of Wallasey Town Hall, in full, until April 2025 and add the additional £246k saving this produces to the £1m investment fund for activities linked to visible improvement in services across the borough.”

It was then moved by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Tony Jones, that the officer recommendations as detailed in the report be approved, subject to the inclusion of the above additional recommendation.

The Political Group Leaders and a number of Members echoed the views expressed by the Leader in respect to the collaborative work undertaken by representatives of all political groups in the budget setting process both via policy and service committee and the finance sub working group.

Councillor Pat Cleary then proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Jo Bird, in respect to recommendation 4 (d) which was to delete the words “finance sub-committee” and replace them with “the relevant Policy and Service Committee”.

The amendment was then put to the vote and lost (3:12).

The original motion was then put, and it was:

Resolved - That,

1. Authority be delegated to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 111