Agenda

Summary:

Options considered:

This report presents for approval the budget for 2020/21 and to make statutory calculations in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to set the Council Tax for 2020/21. The report also includes the Chief Financial Officer’s report on the robustness of the estimates and adequacy of reserves.

It is a statutory requirement to set the budget each year, whilst there are options around the content of the budget presented for approval, the budget now recommended reflects the recommendations made by Cabinet at its meeting on 3 February 2020.

Conclusions:

It is the opinion of the Council’s Chief Financial Officer that the budget for 2020/21 has been set within a robust framework and the impact of this resolution will maintain an adequate level of financial reserves held by the Council.

Recommendations:

Reasons for

Recommendations:

That having considered the Chief Financial Officer’s report on the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, the following be approved:

1)            The 2020/21 revenue budget as outlined at Appendix A within this report;

2)            The surplus of £2,379,266 be transferred to the Delivery Plan Reserve;

3)            An additional £50,000 to be released from the Communities Reserve to support the North Norfolk Sustainable Communities Fund;

4)            An additional £33,000 to be released from the Communities Reserve to support the Community Transport Fund;

5)            The transfer of £150,000 from the Environmental Health Reserve to the newly created Environment Reserve;

6)            A sum of £9,000 is released from the General Fund Reserve to fund the purchase of beach wheelchairs;

7)            The statement of and movement on the reserves as detailed at Appendix C within this report;

8)            The updated Capital Programme and financing for 2019/20 to 2022/23 (as detailed at Appendix E1 within the 2020/21 Budget Report - February 2020 Cabinet Agenda);

9)            The new capital bids recommended for approval (as detailed within appendix E2 within the 2020/21 Budget Report - February 2020 Cabinet Agenda); 

10)         That Members note the current financial projections for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24;

11)         The Policy Framework for the Earmarked Reserves and the Optimum Level of the General Reserve 2020/21 to 2023/24 (Appendix B within this report);

12)         That Members undertake the Council Tax and statutory calculations set out at section 4, and set the Council Tax for 2020/21;

13)         The demand on the Collection Fund for 2020/21 is as follows:

a.    £6,305,671 for District purposes

b.    £2,520,143 for Parish/Town Precepts;

This reflects the recommended Council Tax increase of £4.95 for the District element for an average Band D property;

14)      It is recommended to Full Council that the Rate Relief Policy is revised to include these new reliefs as set out at section 4.10 and;

15)      It is recommended that the Council continues with the current Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme for 2020/21 as outlined within the 2020/21 Budget Report - February 2020 Cabinet Agenda whereby those of working age previously entitled to 100% maximum council tax benefit are required to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Summary:

Options considered:

Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011 (“the Act”) requires the Council to produce an annual pay policy statement (“the statement”) for the start of each financial year. The attached statement is drawn up in compliance with the Act to cover the period 2019/20. It is a legal requirement that Full Council formally signs off this statement and the responsibility cannot be devolved to any other person or committee.

There are no options to consider as part of this paper.

Conclusions:

The attached statement sets out current remuneration arrangements for officers.

Recommendations:

Reasons for

Recommendations:

To adopt the attached Pay Policy Statement and to publish the statement for 2020/21 on the Council’s website.

To comply with the requirements of the Localism Act.

Cabinet Member(s)

Ward Member(s)

Cllr S Bütikofer

All

Summary:

The purpose of this report is to recommend to Council the allowances and expenses to be paid to Members to take effect from May 2020.  In accordance with the requirements of the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, the Council set up an Independent Remuneration Panel as agreed at the meeting of Council held on 17 December 2019.  The terms of reference for the Panel were also agreed at the December meeting of Council.

Conclusions:

The Council is required to observe, as part of the legislation, the following; ‘before an authority makes or amends a scheme, it shall have regard to the recommendations made in relation to it by an independent remuneration panel’. The findings and recommendations of the Panel are detailed in this report.

Recommendations:

That Members consider the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel, adopt a scheme of allowances and amend the Constitution accordingly.  Specifically, it is recommended that:

a)    the Basic Allowance should increase to £5,750 pa (to include £180 Broadband Allowance);

b)    the Scheme should remain index linked to officers’ pay awards

c)    the broadband allowance should be included in the Basic Allowance (see Recommendation a)

d)    the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the Leader of the Council should remain calculated by way of a multiplier of x2 the basic allowance;

e)    the SRA for Cabinet Members with Portfolio should remain calculated by way of a multiplier of x1.33 the basic allowance;

f)     the SRA for Chairmen of Committees of the Council (except Development Committee and Standards Committee) should remain calculated by way of a multiplier of x0.67 the basic allowance;

g)    the SRA for the Chairman of Development Committee to remain at x0.75 of the basic allowance, with the SRA for the Vice-chairman of Development Committee remaining at x0.25 of the basic allowance.

h)    the SRA for the Chairman of Standards Committee should be removed due to the infrequency of meetings and replaced with a per meeting payment of 2% of the Basic Allowance

i)      a new payment for Chairmen of Working Parties to be introduced on a per meeting basis of 2% of the Basic Allowance

j)      a new SRA of x0.25 the basic allowance for the Vice-Chairman of the Council be introduced to reflect the workload and demands of the role.

k)    the SRA for the Leaders of the opposition group should be calculated by way of a multiplier of x3% of the basic allowance times number of members in the group;

l)      payment of 2% of the basic allowance per meeting attended should be made to co-opted members of committees.

m)   thecarers’ allowance should remain at £10 per hour wage for child care and £20 per hour wage for specialist care (per carer).

n)    the existing travelling expenses scheme should be maintained, and it should be subject to amendment in accordance with prevailing national agreements;

o)    the subsistence expenses scheme should remain the same with the allowance for lunch at  £8.00 and the allowance for dinner at £20.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.