Issue - meetings

The Council is asked to consider the Revenue and Capital Budgets for the 2023/24 financial year for both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account.

A report from the Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer is attached and considers the recommendations made by the Policy and Finance Committee following its meeting held on 9 February 2023 in respect of the Council’s Budget for 2023/24.  The minutes from this meeting will be circulated separately to this agenda.

The associated statutory resolutions have been received from West Sussex County Council and the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner in terms of  precepts.

There are additional requirements associated with the approval of the Council’s tax base and NNDR1 for 2023/24 and special expenses.

Restrictions on voting under Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992

Members are reminded that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to this meeting. In particular it should be noted that where a Member has at least two months arrears of Council Tax, he or she must declare this to the meeting and must not vote on budget recommendations, as to do otherwise can be a criminal offence.

This item will be presented using the order below in line with Council Procedure Rule 4.3 [Procedure for Debate at Special Meetings]:

(i)             Welcome by the Chair

(ii)            Presentation by the Leader of the Council to deliver his Budget Statement – Councillor Gunner will make his Budget Statement and will propose the recommendations, including the associated statutory resolutions required in agreeing the Budget.

(iii)          To be moved by – Councillor Gunner

(iv)          Councillor Pendleton to second (may reserve her right to speak)

(v)           Questions to be responded to by invited speaker(s) and/or Officers from:

(a)  Members and

(b)  Any other persons permitted by the Chair

(vi)          Statements may then be made by:

(vii)         Councillor Walsh to respond on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group

(viii)       Councillor Dixon to respond on behalf of the Independent Group

(ix)          Councillor Goodheart to respond on behalf of the Arun Independent Group

(x)           Councillor Thurston to respond on behalf of the Green Group

(xi)          Any other person permitted by the Chair

(xii)         Open debate

(xiii)       Councillor Pendleton to respond as seconder

(xiv)       Councillor Gunner to respond as proposer

(xv)        Recorded Vote required [in line with Council Procedure Rule 20.6]

(xvi)       Chair to conclude the debate

            The Chair confirmed that this Special Council Meeting had been called to consider the Budget for 2023/2024 and to set the Council Tax for Arun District Council. Councillors were referred to eleven recommendations set out within the agenda papers for them to consider as well as the minutes from the meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee held on 9 February 2023. These minutes had been circulated to Members and published to the Council’s web pages on 24 February 2023 along with a revised Item 8 Appendix 2 being the correct version of that Appendix relating to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The Chair also confirmed that at Appendix 4 [The Statutory Resolutions] on page 38 of the agenda pack, in relation to Yapton Parish Council, the figure provided should read 86,050 and not 56,050. It was confirmed that this typing error did not affect any of the other figures contained within the Appendix which were otherwise correct.

            Before inviting the Leader of the Council, Councillor Gunner, to present his Budget Statement, the Chair reminded Councillors of the procedure for this meeting as confirmed in the Constitution at Council Procedure Rule 4.3 and as set out in the covering agenda for the meeting.

            Councillor Gunner presented his Budget Statement confirming that he wished to start by thanking the Officer team, especially the Council’s previous Interim Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer, Carolin Martlew. Working through a Zero Based Budget (ZBB) exercise with high inflation whilst  producing a budget and revisiting the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan had been an immense amount of work. In recognition of this, thanks were also extended to the rest of the Finance Team for all they had done and for their hard work in preparing the budget. Thanks, was also extended to Tony Baden, the Council’s new Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer for his support since commencing his employment with the Council.

            Reference was made to the vigorous process that had been applied in consulting on the Budget through the committee system. Councillor Gunner confirmed his gratitude to the Council’s Chief Executive for organising a briefing for Members on the financial outlook for the Council back in December 2022 as this had ensured that Members were very clear about the overall picture that the Council was in and in preparing to consider and agree its  Budget. Councillor Gunner confirmed his gratitude to his fellow Group Leaders for accepting his offer to meet to talk through their thinking on the budget and although they had not asked for the Council Tax to be changed or the position on reserves to be altered, they had made some suggestions which had been either in the budget or spoken about and passed to Officers as suggestions. The Budget having been passed through thirteen Committee meetings had received more scrutiny than ever before but had not resulted in any Councillor voting against it to date or confirming that they wished to table any amendment to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 741