Agenda item

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) on the Council Tax Resolution for 2024/25.

The Cabinet Member for Finance outlined the contents of the report with particular reference to the following.

·         The report was the culmination of a huge amount of collaborative work over the past year and the final piece of the jigsaw in setting the 2024/25 Budget. Through the various PDGs, Cabinet and Scrutiny meetings, members had collectively identified proposals that enables a balanced budget for 2024/25, largely without any significant impact on service provision. Everyone recognises that this as a remarkable achievement in the circumstances and is acknowledged as such.

·         The Cabinet Member for Finance took the opportunity to thank Members, from across the Council, for their active engagement in discussions through the various meetings; Members worked collaboratively and constructively together for the benefit of Mid Devon District Councils residents, just as it should be and restored fiscal responsibility to this Council.

·         The Cabinet Member for Finance thanked Officers from the finance team and throughout the service areas for the considerable work that had gone into this process particularly Andrew Jarrett and Paul Deal.

·         The various financial reports that were approved by Cabinet earlier this month, including those that have just ratified, form the basis of the 2024/25 budget, which in turn calculates the Council Tax Requirement for Mid Devon District Council. When combined with the Precept Requirements from the other local authorities and Town and Parish Council’s, the aggregated Council Tax to be collected is known. As the Billing Authority and check there in line with the referendum criteria, and to agree to collect it on behalf of all those authorities.

·         The report, within Appendix A, sets out the formal resolution and legally required to approve. It outlines the various Council Tax charges from the relevant local authorities across the eight Council Tax bands, at a Parish level.

·         The report also draws your attention to the statutory report from the S151 Officer that provides their assurance on the Robustness of the budget and that the Council has adequate levels of Reserves.

The Deputy Chief Executive (S151) Officer highlighted the following:

·         Despite the below inflationary levels of government funding for 2024/2025, Mid Devon District Council continue to deliver a wide range of service provision whilst maintaining the Council tax increase below 3% and prudent levels of reserves.

·         In the report the legal requirement has to include commentary on both robustness of estimates and adequacy of the reserves.

·         Directed the Council to section 4 of the report and confirmed he has carefully considered these two items and fully content with the both of the levels being agreed and progresses used to agree them.

Cllr J Buczkowski MOVED, seconded by Councillor Cllr J Cairney:

“To approve the formal Council Tax Resolution as laid out in Appendix 1, subject to the approval by each Precepting Authority of its own Precepts as included within this report.:

The Chairman MOVED in accordance with Procedure Rule 16.7:

“That the vote in respect of this MOTION shall be by Roll Call”

A roll call of Members present at the meeting was then taken.

Those voting FOR the MOTION: A Adcock, M Binks, D Broom, E Buczkowski, J Buczkowski, J Cairney, S Chenore, S J Clist, G Cochran, F J Colthorpe, C Connor, L Cruwys, G Czapiewski, J M Downes, G Duchesne, B Fish, M Fletcher, A Glover, C Harrower, B Holdman, M Jenkins, S Keable, L Knight, F Letch, N Letch, J Lock, S Robinson, L Taylor, H Tuffin, G Westcott, N Woollatt, J Wright, D Wulff  

Those ABSTAINING from voting: Councillors: L Kennedy

Upon a vote being taken the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.