The Council is asked to consider the Revenue and Capital Budgets for the 2020/2021 financial year for both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account. 

            A report from the Group Head of Corporate Support confirming the recommendations being made to the Council is attached.  Members will also be asked to refer to the recommendations contained within the Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 10 February 2020 with regard to the Budget for 2020/2021, which will have to be circulated separately.

The 2020/2021 Budget was considered at the meeting of the Overview Select Committee held on 28 January 2020 and these Minutes can be accessed by clicking on Overview Select Committee - Minutes

            Details of the associated statutory resolutions in agreeing the Budget, following receipt of the West Sussex County Council and the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner precepts, will be circulated at the meeting.  

            This item will be presented using the order below:

(i)         Welcome by the Chairman – Councillor Mrs Warr

(ii)        Leader of the Council’s Budget Statement – Councillor Dr Walsh will make his Budget Statement and will propose the recommendations, including the associated statutory resolutions required in agreeing the Budget, which will be circulated at the meeting.

            To be moved by – Cllr Dr Walsh

(iii)        Cllr Oppler to second (may reserve his right to speak)

(iv)        Cllr Chapman to respond on behalf of the Conservative Group

(v)          Cllr Dixon to respond on behalf of the Independent Group

(vi)        Cllr Ms Thurston to respond on behalf of the Green Group

(vii)       Open Debate

(viii)     Cllr Oppler to respond as seconder

(ix)        Cllr Dr Walsh to respond as proposer

(x)          VOTE REQUIRED

          The Leader of the Council, Councillor Dr Walsh, presented his Budget Statement, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the Minutes. 

          An extract from the Minutes from the meeting of Cabinet [Minute 433] held on 10 February 2020; an amendment to those recommendations, an amended Appendix 1, and Appendix 4 setting out the statutory resolutions that the Council was also required to consider, were tabled at the meeting. 

          In proposing the recommendations at Minute 433 from the Cabinet meeting held on 10 February 2020, Councillor Dr Walsh confirmed that he needed to propose an amendment to include the additional statutory recommendations listed in the Group Head of Corporate Support’s report as set out on page 26 of the agenda. 

          The amendment added further recommendations (8), (9) and (10) which had also been circulated as part of the second bundle of papers.  The additional wording has been set out below in bold:

                                    (1)         The General Fund Revenue Budget as set out in Appendix 1 is approved;

                                    (2)         Arun’s Band D Council Tax for 2020/21 is set at £186.57, an increase of 2.73%;

                                    (3)         Arun’s Council Tax Requirement for 2020/21, based on a Band D Council Tax of £186.57, is set at £11,612,863 plus parish precepts as demanded, to be transferred to the General Fund in accordance with statutory requirements;

                                    (4)         The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget as set out in Appendix 2 is approved;

                                    (5)         The HRA rents for 2020/21 are increased by 2.7% (CPI plus 1%) in accordance with the provisions of the rent standard;

                                    (6)         HRA garage rents are increased by 5% to give a standard charge of £12.31 per week (excluding VAT), and heating and water/sewerage charges increased on a scheme by scheme basis, with a view to balancing costs with income;

                                    (7)         The Capital Budget as set out in Appendix 3 is approved;

                                    (8)         The statutory resolutions required by the Council in agreeing its budget for 2020/21, as set out in Appendix 4 circulated at the meeting, be approved;

                                    (9)         It be noted that the Group Head of Corporate Support, in consultation with the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Corporate Support, has approved i) a Council Tax base of 62,244 for 2020/21 and ii) the submission of the Council’s NNDR1 return (the estimate of the Council’s Business Rate income for 2020/21) to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; and

                                (10)         For 2020/21, any expenses incurred by the Authority in performing in part of its area a function performed elsewhere in its area by a Parish/Town Council or the Chairman of a Parish Meeting shall not be treated as special expenses for the purposes of Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

          The Leader opened his statement by stating that he firstly wished to thank the Group Head of Corporate Support and the Financial Services Manager for putting together the Budget; presenting this to political groups and to Cabinet in such an easy to understand way.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 459