Issue - meetings

[To receive an update on progress towards identifying additional opportunities to address the projected £22.2 million budget deficit for 2017/18 and to seek approval to progress the budget reduction and income generation proposals to the formal budget consultation and scrutiny stages of the budget process]

Cllr Andrew Johnson presented the report on an update on progress towards identifying additional opportunities to address the projected £22.2 million budget deficit for 2017/18. The proposals that were initially reported to Cabinet in July 2016 had been further developed in recent months.  Approval was requested to progress the budget reduction and income generation proposals to the formal budget consultation and scrutiny stages of the budget process.

Resolved:

1.     That budget reduction and income generation proposals amounting to £13.5 million in 2017/18 proceed to the formal consultation and scrutiny stages of the budget process.

2.     That Financial Transaction and Base Budget Revisions totalling a net reduction of £10.0 million in 2017/18 be incorporated into the 2017/18 draft budget.

3.     That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources in consultation with the Director of Finance to explore the option of making further pension contributions to the West Midlands Pension Fund in 2017/18, in order to reduce the total costs and secure on-going budget reductions to support the budget challenge that the Council would face in future years

4.     That the removal of the previously approved ‘Restructuring of the Library Service’ budget reduction totalling £500,000 in the Medium Term Financial Strategy in 2017/18 to allow the development of a five year libraries strategy which would be informed by engagement and consultation, as recommended by the Libraries Peer Review be approved.

5.     That the re-profile of the previously approved ‘Children’s Services Re-design’ budget reduction; to delay £375,000 of the budget reduction from 2017/18 to 2018/19 in the Medium Term Financial Strategy to allow the Children’s Service Re-design to be fully embedded be approved.

6.     That the re-profile of the previously approved ‘Reconfiguration of the Residual Waste Collection Service’ budget reduction by £500,000 from 2017/18 to 2018/19 in the Medium Term Financial Strategy, whilst the review household waste and recycling centres is undertaken be approved.

7.     That the further re-profile of £600,000 from 2017/18 to 2018/19 (£300,000) and 2019/20 (£300,000) of the ‘Review of Waste and Recycling’ budget reduction which was presented to Cabinet in July 2016, to reflect a potential implementation date of June 2017 be approved.

8.     That the removal of the ‘Re-provision of Staff Counselling Service’ budget reduction proposal totalling £20,000 in 2017/18, which was presented to Cabinet in July 2016, due to the outcome of the procurement exercise, which attracted no tender submissions be approved.

9.     That authority be delegated to the responsible Cabinet Member and the Cabinet Member for Resources, in consultation with the responsible Director and the Director of Finance to implement financial transactions and base budget revisions at the earliest opportunity where the proposal is not reliant on the outcome of formal budget consultation.

10.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve the final budget consultation arrangements.

11.That it be noted that the 2016/17 Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2016/17 - 2019/20 was presented to Full Council for approval on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6