Agenda item

To review the budget, fees and charges, growth bids, savings bids and capital bids for the committee’s areas of responsibility.

The Chief Accountant presented the draft budget, fees and charges, growth bids, savings bids, and capital bids for the committee’s areas of responsibility.

The Chief Accountant apologised with regards to the late issuing of two documents due to an error with cost codes transposing some budget items for this committee to the Environment & Sustainability Committee.

The Chief Accountant introduced the Net Expenditure Budget and highlighted items where there were large differences between the current and previous year. The Committee requested clarification for some of the differences and were informed that due to changes in rules for IFRS 16 vehicle leases had been removed from the revenue budget and transferred to the capital budget.

The Chief Accountant presented the Detailed Budget and the Fees and Charges. Following instruction by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, fees had been increased by at least 5% with some increased to a higher level. Comparison exercises had been undertaken with neighbouring authorities to ensure fees were appropriate.

The Chief Accountant presented the Growth Bids and informed the Committee that there was a moratorium on full-time posts unless they were fully funded or a statutory post. The recommendation from the Finance Department was that the growth bid for the JET Administrator post would not meet those requirements. If the Committee wished to recommend the post for approval, savings would need to be found elsewhere in the budget.

Committee members debated the value the position provided to the Council and the risks of not recommending the growth bid for approval. The Committee were informed that while the position didn’t generate much income, the value was in the administrative support it provided to the JET Officers. The post focused on paperwork which allowed JET Officers to spend more time engaging with residents, conducting PACE interviews, and collating evidence for cases.

The Committee requested that the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services further review the budget and see if there were any other areas where savings could be made.

The Committee resolved to recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee that the growth bid for the JET Administrator be approved.

The Committee resolved to recommend that Corporate Policy and Resources Committee approve the draft 23/24 budget.