Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

37.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made by Councillors regarding items on the Agenda.

38.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 113 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Normal Meeting of the Council held on 18 December 2019, Special Meeting of the Council held on 18 December 2019 and Extraordinary Meeting held on 20 January 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Normal Meeting of the Council held on 18 December 2019, Special Meeting on 18 December 2019 and Extraordinary Meeting on 20 January 2020 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Mayor.

39.

Mayoral Communications/Business

To receive such communications or deal with such business as the Mayor may decide to lay before the Council.

Minutes:

The Mayor announced the sad passing of Colin Taylor who was a former Mayor, Borough Councillor and Surrey County Councillor. The Mayor and Councillors Julie Morris, Bernie Muir, Eber Kington and Kate Chinn paid tribute to his service to the Council and local community.

The Council observed a minute’s silence.

The Mayor made a number of announcements relating to noteworthy events over the past two months and to forthcoming charity events.

40.

Changes to Mayoral Budget and Member Allowances pdf icon PDF 99 KB

This report sets proposals for changes to the Mayoral Budget and also the work undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and their recommendations in respect of Special Responsibility Allowances.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council received a report presenting proposals for changes to the Mayoral Budget and also the work undertaken by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and their recommendations in respect of Special Responsibility Allowances.

Councillor Eber Kington MOVED the recommendations in the report.

Councillor Barry Nash SECONDED the recommendations in the report.

Upon being put the recommendations were CARRIED with 25 being in favour, 5 against and the Mayor not voting.

 

Accordingly, it was resolved that Council:

(1)      Agreed to increase the Mayoral Budget to £9,627 in 2019/20, with subsequent annual increases linked to CPI inflation;

(2)      Noted the report and recommendations of the IRP;

(3)      Agreed a Member should receive more than one Special Responsibility Allowance if they qualify for more than one such allowance;

(4)      Agreed the Chairman/ Chair of the Standards Committee should receive a Special Responsibility Allowance equivalent to 10% of the Basic Allowance;

(5)      Agreed the Chairman of the Majority Group should receive an Special Responsibility Allowance equivalent to 100% of the Basic Allowance;

(6)      Agreed all Vice Chairmen/Chairs (including the Vice Chairman/Chair of the Planning Committee) should receive 50% of what their respective Chairmen receive.

41.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Pay Policy Statement pdf icon PDF 87 KB

This report seeks approval of the draft Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Pay Policy Statement 2020/21.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council received a report presenting the recommendations of the Strategy and Resources Committee with regard to the approval of the draft Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Pay Policy Statement 2020/21.

Councillor Eber Kington MOVED the recommendation in the report.

Upon being put the recommendation was CARRIED with 27 being in favour, 3 abstaining and the Mayor not voting.

Accordingly, it was resolved that Council:

(1)      Approved the Pay Policy Statement for 2020/21.

42.

Budget Report 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 186 KB

This report fulfils the statutory requirement to agree a budget for 2020/21,

comprising both revenue and capital expenditure plans, and to set a

Council Tax for the year.

 

The council tax recommendation as supported by the Financial Policy Panel is for an increase of £4.95 per annum (Band D property) an equivalent increase of 2.5%.

 

The report also recommends the approval of the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2020-24, including a new Medium Term Financial Strategy

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council gave consideration to its 2020/21 budget, comprising both revenue and capital expenditure plans and Council Tax amounts for each band of dwelling.  The report took account of the recommendations of the Community & Wellbeing, Environment & Safe Communities and Strategy & Resources Committees (appertaining to fees and charges, the revenue budget and capital programme).

In moving the recommendations of the Chief Finance Officer, the Chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, Councillor Eber Kington, made a statement to the Council on the budget for 2020/21 to which Councillors Kate Chinn and David Gulland responded.

Upon being put, the MOTION was CARRIED, there being 24 members in favour, 3 against and 4 abstention as detailed below.

Accordingly, it was resolved:

(1)      That it be noted that, under delegated powers, the Chief Finance Officer calculated the amount of the Council Tax Base as 33,019.91 (Band ‘D’ equivalent properties) for the year 2020/21 calculated in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”).

(2)      That the following estimates recommended by the policy committees be approved:-

a.    The revised revenue estimates for the year 2019/20 and the revenue estimates for 2020/21.

b.    The capital programme for 2020/21 and the provisional programme for 2021 to 2023, as summarised in the capital strategy statement.

(3)      That the fees and charges recommended by the Policy Committees be approved for 2020/21.

(4)      That the Council Tax Requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2020/21 is £6,713,278.

(5)      That the Council received the budget risk assessment at Annexe 7 of the report and noted the conclusion of the Chief Finance Officer that these budget proposals are robust and sustainable as concluded in the report.

(6)      That the Council received the Chief Finance Officer Statement on the Reserves as attached at Annexe 9 to the report.

(7)      That the Council agreed the Prudential Indicators and Authorised Limits for 2020/21 as set out in Annexe 12 to the report including:-

a.    Affordability Prudential Indicators.

b.    The actual and estimated Capital Financing Requirement.

c.    The estimated levels of borrowing and investment.

d.    The authorised and operational limits for external debt.

e.    The treasury management prudential indicators.

(8)      That the following amounts be now calculated for the year 2020/21 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

a.    £55,456,707 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(2) of the Act.

b.    £48,743,429 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31(A)3 of the Act.

c.    £6,713,278 being the amount by which the aggregate at 8(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 8(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31A(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year.

d.    £203.31 being the amount at 8(c) above divided by the amount at (1) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31(B) of the Act, as the basic amount of its  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

Recorded Vote
TitleTypeRecorded Vote textResult
Budget and Council Tax 2020-21 Budget decision Carried
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