Issue - meetings

To consider the head of finance’s report. 

Cabinet considered its draft budget proposals for 2013/14, including the capital programme and medium term financial plan for the next five years. 

The report highlighted the changes from the draft budget that Scrutiny Committee considered on 17 January.  The Cabinet member for finance reported that the proposed budget froze council tax at its current level for the next two years while protecting services and providing council tax support grant to parish councils.  The medium term financial plan showed the use of, and contributions to, reserves over the five-year plan period.  The Cabinet member pointed out that Cabinet intended to keep the public conveniences open, and replace automatic facilities at Hales Meadow, Abingdon and Millbrook Square, Grove with traditional built facilities including disabled toilets. 

Cabinet agreed that the budget proposals should be recommended to Council on 20 February, and noted that Scrutiny Committee would be reviewing the proposals on 14 February.  Cabinet asked the leader to make any necessary amendments to the budget proposals prior to the Council meeting. 

RESOLVED: To

(a)       recommend Council to:

1.                  set the revenue budget for 2013/14 as set out in the Medium Term Financial Plan shown at appendix G to the head of finance’s report;

2.                  approve the capital programme for 2013/14 to 2017/18 as set out in appendix C to the report, together with the capital growth bids set out in appendix D of the report;

3.                  set the council’s prudential limits as listed in appendix F to the report;

4.                  approve the medium term financial plan to 2017/18 as set out in appendix G to the report; 

(b)               authorise the head of finance in consultation with the cabinet member for finance to make minor adjustments to the report and the prudential indicators should they prove necessary prior to its submission to the Council on 20 February 2013.