Agenda item

The Committee is asked to consider the report and make a recommendation to Council on 23 February 2023.

The Committee considered the Draft Detailed Revenue Budget for 2023/24.

The Chief Accountant advised that the miscellaneous figures that appeared on previous reports presented to Committees had now been looked at and all figures over £5,000 had been allocated to appropriate cost codes.

The Committee were advised that growth bids had been submitted for two additional posts. One post was within Legal Services for a Legal Assistant that had been approved by the Administrative Committee and one within the Joint Enforcement Team (JET) for an Administrator that had been approved by the Neighbourhood & Enforcement Committee. The Group Head of Neighbourhood Services had subsequently advised that she was withdrawing her bid for an additional post. The Committee agreed that the Legal Assistant post would provide support for a large number of departments across the Council and were advised that the Chief Accountant would liaise with Cost Centre Managers to see where savings could be made to fund this post.  

The Committee resolved to recommend to Council that they approve the following:

1.    A 2.9% increase on the Spelthorne Borough Council element of the Council Tax for 2023/24. Moreover:

a)    The Revenue estimates as set out in Appendix of the report be approved.

b)    No funds, as set out in this report are to appropriate from General Reserves in support of Spelthorne’s local Council Tax for 2023/24.

c)    To agree that the Council Tax Base for the year 2023/24 is 40,551 Band D equivalent dwellings calculated in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as amended, made under Section 35(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

2.    Continuing with Council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme with the current rules and regulations.

3.    Continuing the complete disregard of war pension/armed forces pension income from benefit calculations.

4.    The growth and savings items as set out in the report’s appendices 3 and 4.

5.    To note the Chief Finance Officer’s commentary in Section 4 of the report on the robustness of budget estimates and levels of reserves under Section 25 and 26 of the Local Government Act 2003.

6.    The Council Tax Base for the whole Council area for 2022/23 (Item T in the formula in Section 31b(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the ‘act’)) should be 40,551 Band D equivalent dwellings and calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the  Council’s own purpose for 2023/24 is £216.14 per Band D equivalent dwelling.

That the following sums be now calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Local Government Act 1992.

That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

7.    To agree the growth bid for a Legal Assistant post within Legal Services to provide support and resilience to the Administrative Officer and resource for the Company Secretary role.