Agenda item

The Budget Book (green cover) will be issued in a supplementary agenda and will reflect the recommendations considered at the meeting of the Cabinet on 20 February 2019.

The Council considered the recommendation of Cabinet on the detailed Revenue Budget for 2019-20 and the proposed Council Tax for 2019-20. The Mayor referred councillors to the Budget Book (green cover) reflecting the decisions and recommendations made by Cabinet on 20 February 2019, including the precepts being levied by Surrey County Council and the Surrey Police.

The Mayor asked the Council to agree, in accordance with Standing Order 20.4, that the respective Budget speeches of the Group Leaders may each exceed 10 minutes in length if necessary.

Resolved to agree that the respective Budget speeches of the Group Leaders may each exceed 10 minutes in length if necessary.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor I.T.E. Harvey and the portfolio holder for Finance, Councillor H.R. Williams, made a joint statement on the Budget and the Council Tax and moved and seconded the recommendations on the detailed Budget for 2019-20 as set out in the report circulated in the Budget Book.  The Leader of the Ashford and Staines Residents’ Group, Councillor D. Saliagopoulos then made a statement. Councillor I.J. Beardsmore, Leader of the Liberal Democrats declined the opportunity to make a speech.

A copy of Councillors Harvey and Saliagopoulos speeches are attached to these minutes as Appendices A and B respectively.

At the conclusion of the debate on the Revenue Budget, the Mayor explained it was a legal requirement to record in the minutes of the proceedings the names of the persons who cast a vote for the decision or who abstained from voting.

The voting was as follows:

Resolved:

1. To continue the Council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme with the current rules and regulations;
2. To continue the complete disregard of war pension / armed forces pension income from benefit calculations;
3. The growth and savings items as set out in the report’s appendices;
4. The Council Tax Base for the whole council area for 2019/20. [Item T in the formula in Section 31b(3) of the local government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “act”)] should be 39,688.00 band D equivalent dwellings and calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purpose for 2019/20 is £202.44 Per Band D equivalent dwelling;
5. To approve a £5 or 2.53% increase on Band D in the Spelthorne Borough Council element of the Council Tax for 2019/20. Moreover:

a)    The revenue estimates as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

b)    No Money, as set out in this report is appropriated from General Reserves in support of Spelthorne’s local Council tax for 2019/20.

c)    To agree that the Council Tax base for the year 2019/20 is 39,688.00 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.

6.    That the following sums be now calculated by the Council for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Local Government Act 1992:

7.    That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011: 

Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at (F) above by the number which in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the sum which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band ‘D’, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different band.

8.    That it be noted  that for the year 2019/20 Surrey County Council and Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to Spelthorne Borough Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

Precepts issued to the Council

9.    That, having calculated the aggregate in each case above the Council in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011, hereby sets the amounts as the amounts of Council tax for the year 2019/20.

The Council has determined that its relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2019/20 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992.

As the billing authority, the council has not been notified by a major precepting authority that its relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2019/20 is excessive and that the billing authority is not required to hold a referendum in accordance with Section 52ZK Local Government Finance Act 1992.