Issue - meetings

Councillor Patel submits a report seeking approval to a draft revenue budget strategy for the next three years, subject to public consultation and consultation with Scrutiny Committees.

Any views of the Finance, Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee will be reported to the meeting.

Councillor Patel submitted a report seeking approval to a draft Revenue Budget Strategy for the next three years, subject to public consultation and consultation with Scrutiny Committees.

It was noted that the Finance, Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee had considered the Strategy at its special meeting on 24 July 2001 and had recommended that under paragraph 2, with regard to taxation, the wording should be amended from "The Council will aim to keep its tax increase to a level which is consistent with Government expectations for tax increases" to "The Council will aim to keep its tax increase to a level which is not greater than Government expectations for tax increases".  The Cabinet considered that setting a ceiling for tax was too risky given that the level of Government funding was not predictable.  The Cabinet therefore agreed that the wording should remain as detailed in the report.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the draft Revenue Budget Strategy 2002/03 to 2004/05 as detailed in the report be adopted for consultation; and

(2)that the departmental planning targets for the completion of departmental revenue strategies, be approved.