The Mayor advised that to mark one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, as part of the Council’s support for Ukraine a flag raising ceremony would be held at the front of Number One Riverside from 10.45 am on Friday 24 February 2023.

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

There were no declarations of interest.

To authorise the signing of the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 14 December 2022.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 14^th December 2022 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate/Chief Finance Officer.

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate/Chief Finance Officer that set out details of the proposed Discretionary Fees and Charges for 2023/24 and charges proposed to be exempt from the general 4% increase.

Resolved

1. That the Discretionary Fees and Charges for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

2. That the charges exempt from the general 4% increase, as set out in paragraph 4.3 of the report be approved.

3. That the % increases as set out in paragraph 4.4 of the report be approved.

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate/Chief Finance Officer.

Consideration was given to a report which set out the Chief Finance Officer’s opinion regarding the robustness of the proposed budget and the adequacy of general balances and reserves.

The Chief Finance Officer had concluded that the proposed budgets and associated systems and processes were sound and the level of general balances and reserves were adequate.  It was advised that the proposed estimates and tax setting calculations were robust, reserves were adequate and the provisional Capital Programme was affordable. 

The Leader of the Council moved the recommendations as set out in the report and commended the Director of Corporate Services and her team for their work to ensure the Council had a robust budget in place.

Resolved

1.    That the report be noted and the approach to General Balances, as outlined in the report be endorsed.

2.    That the General Fund Balances for 2023/24 be set at £15 million, noting that the reduction of £2 million be made available to offer targeted support.

To consider the report of the Leader of the Council / Chief Finance Officer.

Consideration was given to a report of the Leader of the Council/ Chief Finance Officer.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report and then went on to explain that a bipartisan approach had been adopted to develop the budget proposals for 2023/2, and he thanked Conservative councillors for their constructive participation as members of the Budget Working Group. It was highlighted that for the first time in the history of Rochdale Borough Council no alternative budget proposals had been submitted.  The Leader said this was testament to robustness of the budget proposals for 2023/24.

In concluding, the Leader commended the Finance Team for the work undertaken to prepare a sound budget.  He then moved the recommendations set out in the report.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate supported the proposals and seconded the motion.

The motion was then voted upon by means of a recorded vote.

Voting for the motion: Councillor  Ali Ahmed (Chair); Councillors I. Ahmed, S. Ahmed, Anstee, Arshad, Ayrton Bamford Besford, Beswick, E. Blundell, Brown, Burke, Dale, Davidson, Dearnley, S. Emmott, N. Emmott,   Emsley, Faisal, Gallagher,  Gartside, Hodgkinson, Holly, Hussain, Kelly, P. Massey, R. Massey, Malcolm, Meredith, Mir, Mohammed, Nisa, O'Neill, O'Rourke, Place, Rana,  Aiza Rashid, Reed, Robinson, Rush, Sheerin, A. Smith, S. Smith, Sullivan, Taylor, Wardle, Wazir, West, D. Williams, Winkler, Wolf and Zaheer.

(Unanimous)

RESOLVED

1.    That the proposed revenue budget position as submitted in the Budget Report be approved.

2.    That the level of Council Tax increase at 4.99% be approved, including a precept of 2% for Adult Social Care.

3.    That it be noted that, at its meeting on 14th December 2022, Council calculated the amount of £57,552 as its Council Tax base for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

4.    That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 30 to 36 of the Act:-

£644,239,129.00     being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.

£536,744,691.00       being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

£107,494,438.00     being the amount by which the aggregate under Section 31A(2) exceeds the aggregate under Section 31A(3), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year.

£1,867.78               being the amount calculated under Section 31A(4), divided by the Council Tax Base (57,552), in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the relevant basic amount of its Council Tax for the year, including 2% for Adult Social Care.  The relevant basic amount being £246.05 for Adult Social Care and £1,621.73 for Other Council Expenditure.