Agenda item

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) on the Council Tax Resolution for 2025/26.

The Cabinet Member for Governance, Finance and Risk outlined the contents of the report with particular reference to the following:

• The extensive collaborative process over the past year, one that had required careful planning, rigorous scrutiny and a shared commitment to delivering a budget that was both balanced and responsible.
• Throughout the process, Members had worked constructively to deliver the best possible outcomes for the residents of Mid Devon through Policy Development Groups (PDGs), Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee.
• They had worked together to identify proposals that allowed the Council to set this budget largely without significant impact on frontline services.
• This was no small feat given the financial pressures faced by Councils across the country. It was a remarkable achievement and one that reflected the fiscal responsibility this administration had restored to this Council.
• He thanked Members from all groups for their active engagement throughout this process. The way that Members had worked together, constructively, collaboratively, with open discussion, robust challenge and a shared commitment to doing what was right for our residents and communities was exactly how local government should work.
• He thanked the finance team and officers across all service areas for their hard work, expertise and dedication. In particular, his gratitude went to the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) Officer, Head of Finance, Property and Climate Resilience and Head of Revenue, Benefits and Leisure. Their leadership and diligence had been instrumental in ensuring we reached this point.
• The financial reports approved by Cabinet earlier this month, including those ratified earlier this evening, form the basis of the 2025/26 budget.
• The Council Tax requirement for the Council as the billing authority was also our responsibility. Ensuring that Council Tax was set correctly and aligned with the referendum criteria and that it was collected on behalf of Devon County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue Authority and Town and Parish Councils.
• The report before Council set out in Appendix A, contained the formal resolution that the Council was legally required to approve.
• It detailed the Council Tax charges across all 8 bands of parish level and the statutory report from the Section 151 officer which provided assurance on the robustness of the budget and the adequacy of our reserves.

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

• This was a statutory report reflecting a process of many months of collaborative work.
• The robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of reserves were self-explanatory. The estimates had been set in a very robust and challenging manner.
• The review of reserve levels were monitored on a regular basis and clearly made sure this Council maintained healthy levels of reserves to weather any financial and operational storms.
• That the Council's funding position and strategic position had probably never been more uncertain at this time of year.
• Regular updates would be provided to Members on how that would impact the Council's financial position.

Cllr J Buczkowski MOVED and seconded by Cllr S Clist:

“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”

“That the views and recommendations of the Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) on the Robustness of the Estimates used within the 2025/26 Budget and that the levels of reserves held had been assessed as Adequate as outlined within Section 4 of this report be NOTED”

The Chair 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: C Adcock, D Broom, E Buczkowski, J Buczkowski, J Cairney, S J Clist, F J Colthorpe, C Connor, L Cruwys, G Czapiewski, J M Downes, M Farrell, B Fish, M Fletcher, R Gilmour, A Glover, C Harrower, B Holdman, M Jenkins, S Keable, L Knight, F Letch, N Letch, J Lock, J Poynton, R Roberts, A Stirling, L Taylor, H Tuffin, G Westcott, A White and D Wulff  

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

Note:* Report previously circulated