| Time: | 7.00pm | Place: | Committee Room 3, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City |
| PRESENT: | Councillor T.W. Hone (Chairman), Councillor Tony Hunter, Councillor Sandra Lunn (substitute), Councillor Mrs L.A. Needham and Councillor R.A.C. Thake. |
| IN ATTENDANCE: | Strategic Director of Finance, Policy & Governance, Accountancy Manager and Committee & Member Services Manager. |
| ALSO PRESENT: | |
| Meeting attachments |
Agenda Front Pages Audio Recording of Meeting |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
| PART I | ||||
| 9 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Ian Mantle. Councillor Sandra Lunn was substituting for Councillor Mantle. |
Noted | ||
| 10 |
MINUTES Minutes RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 January 2016 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and signed by the Chairman. |
Agreed | ||
| 11 |
NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS There was no notification of other business. |
Noted | ||
| 12 |
CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS The Chairman reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question. |
Noted | ||
| 13 |
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was no public participation. |
Noted | ||
| 14 |
COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION 2016/17 Report Minute - Council Tax Resolution 2016/17 Members were reminded that the Council, at its meeting held on 11 February 2016, had approved a 2016/17 Council Tax increase of 1.9% for North Hertfordshire. This equated to a District Council Tax of £211.96 for a Band D property in 2016/17 (a £3.95 increase on 2015/16). At that meeting, the Council had been unable to formally approve the Council Tax resolution because it had not been notified of the Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner precept requirements for 2016/17. It was reported that the precept for the Hertfordshire Police Authority was set at a level which equated to a Council Tax of £147.00 for a Band D property, which was a 0.55% reduction on the Council Tax for 2015/16. The Hertfordshire County Council precept had been set at a level which equated to a Council Tax of £1,186.62 for a Band D property. This was a Council Tax increase of 3.99% (or £45.53 for a Band D property) for 2016/17, which included a levy of a precept to fund Social Care expenditure equivalent to 2% (or £22.82) of the County Council precept requirement for 2015/16. The effect of the Council's decision made at its meeting on 11 February 2016, coupled with the County Council and Police Commissioner precepts, resulted in a Band D Council Tax of £1,545.58, which was 3.25% higher than the Council Tax for the current year. This charge would be increased by the appropriate parish precepts, as detailed in the agenda papers. The Strategic Director of Finance, Policy and Governance circulated the Estimates Book for 2016/17. In the light of Members' comments, the Strategic Director of Finance, Policy and Governance undertook to refine/clarify the report for next year in respect of: - Recommendation 2.3(g) - to include a zero figure for those parishes who had chosen not to have a parish precept; - Paragraphs 7.2 and 8.3 - to clarify the wording with regard to the net and gross total figures for Town and Parish precepts, in the light of the grant to help mitigate the impact of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. In relation to this point, officers were requested to inform Town and Parish Councils at the earliest opportunity should this grant be ceased for 2017/18. - Estimates Book - to ensure that the Workforce Statement appeared at the very end of the Book in the 2017/18 edition, and that the listing of known financial risks be included immediately after the General Fund estimates service analysis. It was moved by Councillor T.W. Hone, and seconded by Councillor Mrs L.A. Needham, that the Council Tax Resolution be approved. In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.16(f), Councillor T.W. Hone requested that a recorded vote be taken on the above motion. (Voting: For: Councillors T.W. Hone, Tony Hunter, Mrs L.A. Needham, Sandra Lunn and R.A.C. Thake - 5. Against: None - 0. Abstentions: None - 0. The motion was carried.) It was therefore, [THE MINUTE APPROVING THE COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION FOR 2016/17 (MINUTE 14) IS ATTACHED.] |
Agreed | ||