Agenda item

[To provide an integrated finance and performance update against the Relighting Our City priorities]

That Cabinet approves:

1.    The establishment of supplementary expenditure budgets for 2022-2023 as detailed in section 7.0 of the report.

2.    The use of £380,000 from the Budget Contingency Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.4 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

3.    The use of £80,800 from the Regeneration Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.5 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

4.    The use of £95,000 from the Digital Inclusion Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.6 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

5.    The contribution of £285,800 to the Licencing Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.7 of the report.

6.    The use of £116,000 from the Our Technology Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.8 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

7.    The use of £64,000 from the Private Sector Housing - Civil Penalties Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.9 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

8.    The use of £2.0 million from the Public Health Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.10 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

9.    The write-off of one sundry debt totalling £13,160.87 as detailed in Appendix 8 to the report.

10.The write-off of two Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £19,511.33 as detailed in Appendix 9 to the report.

11.The 31 virements totalling £154.6 million, for transfers within directorates, as detailed in Appendix 10 to the report.

12.The Strategic Risk Register which is shown at Appendix 3 to the report.

13.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing and the Cabinet Member for Resources and Digital City, in consultation  with the Director of City Housing and Environment and the Director of Finance to negotiate and finalise any changes required to the 2022-2023 management fee payable to Wolverhampton Homes and approve any necessary virements.

14.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and Digital City in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve any necessary virements required to support the pay award and allocation of the Efficiency target and Vacancy factor held corporately.

That Cabinet notes:

1.    That the General Fund projected outturn for 2022-2023 is currently forecast to be an overspend of £1.5 million due to the forecast impact of the proposed pay award for 2022-2023 as detailed in section 4 of the report.

2.    The forecast outturn position for the year for the HRA shows a pressure against the approved budget of £3.2 million, as shown at Table 2 and in detail at Appendix 5 to the report.

3.    That 393 Council Tax accounts totalling £256,204.26, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

4.    That 18 Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £148,382.50, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

5.    That 11 housing benefit overpayments totalling £2,487.92 as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

6.    That one sundry debt account totalling £168.00, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

7.    The performance against the key indicators as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

Councillor Obaida Ahmed presented the report on an integrated finance and performance update against the Our City: Our Plan priorities. Amongst the salient points highlighted were, the Council had strengthened the links between performance, budget and risk to ensure that it was robustly monitoring delivery of the Council’s priorities underpinned by its resources. Of the current 56 key performance indicators (KPIs) in the Our City: Our Plan performance framework, 33 had shown improvement or seen similar performance, six had seen a decrease in performance and 17 were yet to be updated. On the financial performance against the budget, the projected out turn for the General Fund was forecasting an overspend of £1.5 million, mainly due to the forecast in year cost implications of the recently announced pay award. The Housing Revenue Account was showing a forecast cost pressure against the approved budget of £3.2 million because Wolverhampton Homes in particular having a substantial workforce and increasing costs due to repair demands.  In addition there was an increase in the forecast interest payable linked to the capital programme

Resolved:

That Cabinet approves:

1.    The establishment of supplementary expenditure budgets for 2022-2023 as detailed in section 7.0 of the report.

2.    The use of £380,000 from the Budget Contingency Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.4 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

3.    The use of £80,800 from the Regeneration Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.5 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

4.    The use of £95,000 from the Digital Inclusion Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.6 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

5.    The contribution of £285,800 to the Licencing Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.7 of the report.

6.    The use of £116,000 from the Our Technology Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.8 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

7.    The use of £64,000 from the Private Sector Housing - Civil Penalties Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.9 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

8.    The use of £2.0 million from the Public Health Reserve as detailed in paragraph 8.10 of the report and the establishment of associated supplementary budgets.

9.    The write-off of one sundry debt totalling £13,160.87 as detailed in Appendix 8 to the report.

10.The write-off of two Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £19,511.33 as detailed in Appendix 9 to the report.

11.The 31 virements totalling £154.6 million, for transfers within directorates, as detailed in Appendix 10 to the report.

12.The Strategic Risk Register which is shown at Appendix 3 to the report.

13.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for City Assets and Housing and the Cabinet Member for Resources and Digital City, in consultation  with the Director of City Housing and Environment and the Director of Finance to negotiate and finalise any changes required to the 2022-2023 management fee payable to Wolverhampton Homes and approve any necessary virements.

14.That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Resources and Digital City in consultation with the Director of Finance to approve any necessary virements required to support the pay award and allocation of the Efficiency target and Vacancy factor held corporately.

That Cabinet notes:

1.    That the General Fund projected outturn for 2022-2023 is currently forecast to be an overspend of £1.5 million due to the forecast impact of the proposed pay award for 2022-2023 as detailed in section 4 of the report.

2.    The forecast outturn position for the year for the HRA shows a pressure against the approved budget of £3.2 million, as shown at Table 2 and in detail at Appendix 5 to the report.

3.    That 393 Council Tax accounts totalling £256,204.26, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

4.    That 18 Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) debts totalling £148,382.50, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

5.    That 11 housing benefit overpayments totalling £2,487.92 as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

6.    That one sundry debt account totalling £168.00, as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report, have been approved for write-off by the Director of Finance in accordance with the Council’s Financial Procedure Rules.

7.    The performance against the key indicators as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.