Issue - meetings

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction).

The Scrutiny Commission received an update on the financial targets for 2016/17 outlined in the abbreviated Medium Term Financial Strategy. During the presentation, the Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction) reminded members of the budget pressures due in part to Leicestershire County Council’s withdrawal of recycling credits and the increased costs of the recycling contract. A revised deficit of £1.9m had been projected, against which officers had identified savings to meet half of the deficit.

Options highlighted at previous meetings since Council in March were discussed, including increasing Council Tax by 2%, going to a referendum to increase Council Tax by more than 2%, removing Local Council Tax Support to parish councils, charging for green waste collection, and vacancy savings.

Councillor Williams entered the meeting at 6.40pm.

The Chairman reminded members of discussions during the previous municipal year in relation to a consultation on charging for green waste collections, and asked that, if the same was to be considered at this stage, the wording of the consultation be brought to the Scrutiny Commission again. In response, officers explained that the consultation would need to be sent out early the following week and as such there would not be time to bring back to the Commission, but that the proposed consultation was very similar to that previously considered by the Scrutiny Commission.

The options for green waste charging were discussed, including ‘opt in’ and ‘opt out’ options. The possibility of increasing council tax was also discussed and it was suggested that an increase of 20% (approximately £20 per year increase for the average band D) would cover the cost of the referendum and the increasing budget requirements.

The Chairman requested that an urgent task & finish group be set up to look at the proposed consultation questions and asked that each group nominate two members to sit on the group, to meet on Thursday, 24 September.

Some members expressed concern in relation to the withdrawal of the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) grant to parish councils, which had been previously agreed to be phased out, but was now being suggested for complete withdrawal. It was requested that parish councils be notified of the suggestion to withdraw the grant as soon as possible by the Executive to enable them to plan for the possibility, particularly as the majority were already finalising their budgets.

RESOLVED –

(i)            The Executive be RECOMMENDED to notify parish councils of the possibility of withdrawing the Local Council Tax Support grant;

(ii)           A Task & Finish group be set up to consider the consultation on charging for green waste collection.