Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

Please note that due to the very tight schedule that the Cabinet and Officers have been working to in order to put together the final budget proposals for 2010/2011, it has not been possible to complete the report within the normal timescales, and therefore the report will be circulated to all Members on the 4 February 2010. 

The Committee considered a report of the Borough Treasurer containing the formal consultation by Cabinet of the Budget for 2010/2011.

The report set out in detail the spending plans and income targets for the Council for the financial year starting on 1 April 2010.

The Chairman reminded members that the Committee had set up a Budget Consultation Group in December 2009 to oversee the consultation process for 2010/2011 budget. The group had met two times during January 2010, during which details of the officer/portfolio budget challenge sessions held in the run up to the consultation process had been discussed. In addition, dates for the budget cycle of Scrutiny meetings had been agreed. The group had been given an opportunity to question some key officers within the Council to seek clarity on critical aspects of the budget, and as a result, there were no outstanding matters that required action by the Committee.

The group had concluded that it needed to reconvene in April to make early preparations for the 2011/2012 budget consultation process to ensure that a clear timetable existed for all internal stakeholders to ensure that Overview and Scrutiny members played an active part in the budget formulation and consultation processes during 2010/2011.

In view of the limited time between the series of budget Scrutiny meetings to be held over the 11 and 12 February and the Cabinet meeting on 16 February, the Chairman sought authority to allow him to formally respond to the consultation after conferring with the Scrutiny Chairs group at its meeting prior to Cabinet on the 16 February with a composite response encompassing the comments of all five Committees.

RESOLVED – That the budget consultation 2010/2011 be noted, and the Chairman be authorised to formally respond to the consultation following conferment with the Scrutiny Chairs group, and present, to Cabinet on the 16 February 2010, a composite response encompassing the comments of all five Committees