Agenda item

THIRD QUARTER REVENUE MONITORING 2019/20

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR - RESOURCES

To inform Cabinet of the summary position on revenue income and expenditure forecasts for financial year 2019/20, as at the end of the third quarter.

Decision:

RECORD OF DECISION MADE UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY

(as a result of the Cabinet meeting on 24 March 2020 being cancelled

due to Covid-19 situation)

 

 

*PART 1 – PUBLIC DOCUMENT

 

 

Any interest to declare/ or conflict and any dispensation granted [if applicable]

 

SERVICE DIRECTORATE: Resources

 

 

1.         DECISION TAKEN

 

In respect of the Cabinet Agenda – 24 March 2020 – Items 18 and 6g – Third Quarter Revenue Monitoring 2019/20

 

(1)       That this report be noted.

 

(2)       That Cabinet approves the changes to the 2019/20 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a £262k decrease in net expenditure.

 

(3)       That Cabinet approves the changes to the 2020/21 General Fund budget, as identified in table 3 and paragraph 8.2, a £287k increase in net expenditure (ongoing + Carry Forwards).

 

(4)       That Council agrees that the description on the Special Reserve is changed to “Maintained for any special financial pressures such as pump priming for initiatives for shared services, changes in working practice, major contract renewals, unexpected contract variation, support the response to and reduce the impact of major incidents and other financial pressures”.

 

(5)       That Council notes that any discretionary spend in respect of Covid-19 will be approved by the Service Director: Resources as Budget Manger, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and IT.

 

2.       DECISION TAKER

 

The Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council

 

3.       DATE DECISION TAKEN:

 

31 March 2020

 

 

4.       REASON FOR DECISION

 

The Cabinet meeting on 24 March 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation.

 

Members are able to monitor, make adjustments within the overall budgetary framework and request appropriate action of Services who do not meet the budget targets set as part of the Corporate Business Planning process.

 

5.       CONSULTATION WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS

 

Consultation including the effect on stakeholders, partners and the public is contained within the report published with the Cabinet agenda for the meeting on 24 March 2020.

 

Given the current Covid-19 situation and government advice regarding gatherings, the meeting of the Cabinet was not possible. Therefore, the Cabinet Members were requested to provide an indication as to how they would have voted and any comments as to guide the decision maker.

 

By the prescribed deadline seven votes were cast in favour of the three recommendations contained in the report.

 

The following Members of Cabinet voted:

 

·                Councillor Ian Albert

·                Councillor Judi Billing

·                Councillor Paul Clark

·                Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg

·                Councillor Keith Hoskins

·                Councillor Steve Jarvis

·                Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb

 

There were no comments made my Members.

 

Councillor Albert, Executive Member for Finance and IT proposed two additional recommendations to those in the report, being:

 

·                That Council agrees that the description on the Special Reserve is changed to “Maintained for any special financial pressures such as pump priming for initiatives for shared services, changes in working practice, major contract renewals, unexpected contract variation, support the response to and reduce the impact of major incidents and other financial pressures”.

 

·                That Council notes that any discretionary spend in respect of Covid-19 will be approved by the Service Director: Resources as Budget Manger, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and IT.

 

Cabinet Members were subsequently requested to provide an indication as to how they would have voted and any comments regarding these additional recommendations.

 

By the prescribed deadline seven votes were cast in favour of the additional recommendations (4 and 5 above).

 

The following Members of Cabinet voted:

 

·                Councillor Ian Albert

·                Councillor Paul Clark

·                Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg

·                Councillor Gary Grindal

·                Councillor Keith Hoskins

·                Councillor Steve Jarvis

·                Councillor Martin Stears-Handscomb

 

There were no comments made my Members.

 

6.       SUPPORTING REPORT

 

Other information relevant to the decision, such as legal, financial, risk, social value and equality implications, is contained within the report published as Items 18 and 6g within the Cabinet agenda for the meeting on 24 March 2020 via link below:

 

https://democracy.north-herts.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=2200&Ver=4

 

NOTIFICATION DATE

 

3 April 2020

 

Signature of Decision Taker

 

Call-in does not apply to NON-EXECUTIVE DECISIONS

 

In respect of Executive Decisions, as per section 6.3.11(b) of the Constitution ‘Call-In and Urgency’, the call-in procedure does not apply when the decision being taken is urgent. For the purposes of the current Coronavirus pandemic, this decision is considered to be urgent (as normal meetings and the decision-making process has been suspended). The Chair of Council has been informed and agrees that the decision is a reasonable one in the circumstances and is to be treated as a matter of urgency.

Supporting documents: