Issue - meetings

Tourism Committee Budget Paper

Meeting: 17/11/2021 - Tourism, Communities, Culture & Leisure Committee (Item 50)

50 Tourism Committee Budget Paper pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Senior Finance Business Partner, introduced a report on the feedback and outcomes from the Budget Workshops which had been held in recent months. The Policy and Service Committees were responsible for those services being delivered under their operational headings within their annual budget envelope.

 

The Policy and Resources Committee, in consultation with the respective Policy and Service Committees, had been charged by Council to formulate a draft Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and budget to recommend to the Council. The Budget Workshops considered whether the proposals included in the MTFP for the 2022/23 budget, and beyond, were to be taken forward or whether they were to be replaced by alternative proposals that the committees would recommend.

 

The scale of the financial challenge that the Council faced could not be overstated. The short-term support afforded by government in the form of a capitalisation directive did not extend beyond 2021/22, reinforcing the requirement for an in-depth review of Council operations to enable considered and robust proposals to be made to Council in February 2022 for the 2022/23 budget allocation. This would require difficult decisions to ensure that a balanced budget could be presented.

 

The workshop had considered and agreed to all the savings put forward of £665k as outlined in an appendix to the report.

 

With regard to the proposed savings a Member suggested the need to be mindful of separating out efficiencies and income, as suggested increases in income were aspirational and Members had now been asked to focus on achievable savings.

 

The Chair referred to the external assurance reviews and key dates in the budget setting process and that this Committee would have oversight of its budget, whilst acknowledging that the ultimate decision maker in proposing a budget would be the Policy and Resources Committee.

 

On a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Pat Cleary, it was -

 

Resolved - That the Budget Workshop feedback and outcomes, as detailed in appendix 1, be agreed and be reported to Policy and Resources Committee for consideration.