Council received a report of the Director of Finance including:

 

·      Budget Gap, as recommended by Cabinet on 20 January 2020

·      Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2019-23, as recommended by Cabinet on 20 January 2020

·      Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 to 2022/23

·      Income (Charging Policy) 2020/21

·      Capital Strategy 2020/21

·      Report of Licensing Committee on 15 January 2020

·      Report of Cabinet on 20 January 2020.

 

The Mayor moved the budget report which was seconded by Councillor Watkin.

 

Councillor Turmaine moved an amendment to the budget report, which was seconded by Councillor Bell.  The full amendment was circulated at the meeting (attached to these minutes as Appendix 1).

 

The amendment called on Council to:

 

·      Fund the income projected from the green waste bin collection charge and remove the proposed charge to residents.

·      Support street scene development on Vicarage Road.

·      Cease the on-demand bus service and associated app.

·      Suspend the cycle hire scheme for at least the current MTFS period.

                    

Councillor Turmaine argued that these actions would support Watford residents better financially and place the council on a more sustainable financial footing than the current budget presented.

 

Members debated the original motion and the amendment.

 

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 the votes were recorded as follows:

 

The amendment was put to the vote.

 

Those members voting in favour of the amendment:

 

The Chairman Councillor Khan, Councillors Bell, Dhindsa, Ezeifedi, Shah, Smith and Turmaine.

 

Those members voting against the amendment:

 

Mayor Taylor, Councillors Bolton, Collett, Crout, Dychton, Grimston, Hamid, Hastrick, Hofman, Jeffree, J Johnson, S Johnson, Kloss, Parker, Pattinson, Saffery, Scudder, Sharpe, Stanton, Stiff, Stotesbury, Walford, Watkin, Wenham and Williams.

 

Those Members abstaining:

 

Councillor Mauthoor.

 

The amendment was LOST by 25 votes to 7.  There was 1 abstention.

 

The original motion was then put to Council.

 

Those Members voting in favour of the original motion:

            

Mayor Taylor, Councillors Bolton, Collett, Crout, Dychton, Grimston, Hamid, Hastrick, Hofman, Jeffree, J Johnson, S Johnson, Kloss, Parker, Pattinson, Saffery, Scudder, Sharpe, Stanton, Stiff, Stotesbury, Walford, Watkin, Wenham and Williams.

            

Those Members voting against the original motion:

 

The Chairman Councillor Khan, Councillors Bell, Dhindsa, Shah, Smith and Turmaine.

            

Those Members abstaining:

 

Councillors Ezeifedi and Mauthoor.

 

The original motion was CARRIED by 25 votes to 6.  There were 2 abstentions. 

 

RESOLVED –

                    

1.          To agree proposals recommended by Cabinet on 20 January 2020 that Council:

 

a)      Resolves in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 1992, the amount calculated by Watford Borough Council as its Council Tax Base for the year 2020/21 is 33,480.7 as outlined in the report.

 

b)      Approves the continuation of the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2020/21.

 

c)       Approves the budget (Attachment 1) as laid out in the report, as amended for the decision taken at Council on 20 January, including:

·     the base budget for 2020/21

·     the growth and savings

·     the Capital Investment Programme 2019-23

 

d)      Approves the schedule of fees and charges & income charging policy

 

e)      Approves the Capital Strategy for 2020/21,

·     that the Council’s operational boundary be £344M

·     that the Council’s authorised limit be £350M

                          and delegates to the Director of Finance and Portfolio Holder Resources responsibility for agreeing and maintaining the Treasury Management policy.

 

f)        Agrees to increase the annual Council Tax for a Band D property in 2020/21 by 2.0%. This will apply to all other bands.

 

g)      Notes the key risks identified and approves their proposed mitigations.

 

h)      Notes the advice provided by the Director of Finance on the robustness of estimates and the adequacy of reserves.

 

i)         Notes the indicative budgets for 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the need for further work to close the budget gap.

 

Setting the amount of Council Tax for Watford Borough Council

 

2.         That the Council’s net General Fund expenditure for 2020/21 shall be £15.753 million.

 

3.         That the 2020/21 band D precept is set at £273.59 and other bands and amounts are set in accordance with the table at paragraph 2.3 (E)

 

4.         That Watford Borough Council’s Council Tax Base for 2020/21 has been calculated at 33,480.7 in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 made under Section 31B (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended.

 

5.         That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Sections 31A to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

(A)	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the Act. (Effectively the gross expenditure and transfers to reserves)	£76,124,408
(B)	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act. (Effectively the gross income and transfers from reserves)	£66,964,423
(C)	Being the amount by which the aggregate at 2.3 (A) above exceeds the aggregate at 2.3 (B) above calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the Act as its Council Tax Requirement for the year	£9,159,985
(D)	Being the amount at paragraph 2.3 (C)divided by amount at 2.2 above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33 (1) of the Act as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (at Band D)	£273.59

 

(E) Council Tax Valuation Bands Conversion Factor to Band D Watford’s Share (£) A 6 / 9 182.39 B 7 / 9 212.79 C 8 / 9 243.19 D 1 273.59 E 11 / 9 334.39 F 13 / 9 395.19 G 15 / 9 455.98 H 2 547.18   Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at paragraph 2.3 (D) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5 (1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in Valuation Band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36 (1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year 2020/21 in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

6.       That a report including precepts of both the Police Authority and Hertfordshire County Council be presented to the Functions Committee on 26 February 2020 to set the total Council Tax.