Decision details

Councillor Liz Leyshon proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Bill Revans.

Having been duly proposed and seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:

Revenue Budget

a)    Note the conclusions of the Council’s Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) in his Section 25 report confirming the robustness of the budget estimates and the adequacy of the level of reserves for 2024/25 and his warning about the 2025/26 financial year.

b)    Approve the additional funding for pressures requirements set out in Appendix 6.

c)     Approve the savings and income generation plans outlined in Appendix 7, considering the detailed Equalities Impact Assessments

d)    Note the MTFP Cumulative Impact Assessment in Appendix 15

e)    Approve the General Fund net revenue budget for 2024/25 of £601.775m and the individual service budgets for 2024/25 as outlined in Appendix 2.

f)      Note that in order to balance the 2024/25 budget, that revenue spend would be capitalised in accordance with the Capitalisation Directive from DLUHC of £36.9m

g)    Delegate of any amendments within the final Government Financial Settlement and the final Business Rates amendments to the Executive Director of Resources and Corporate Services (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Leader of the Council. 

Reserves

h)    Note that the level of General Reserves was maintained within the risk-based assessment range of £30m minimum to £60m maximum level.

i)      Approve that £36.8m from the Medium-Term Financial Plan Support Reserve was used to help balance the 2024/25 budget.

j)      Note the overall estimated position of Earmarked Reserves outlined in Table 14 and the proposed use of reserves detailed in Appendix 10 which included the estimated use of Earmarked Reserves during the year.

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)

k)     Note the forecast spending on the Dedicated Schools Grant was forecast to exceed the funding provided by government by £23.4m in 2024/25 and was projected to reach a cumulative deficit of £96.2m by 31 March 2026.

l)      Note the overall Dedicated Schools Grant allocation of £533.3m for 2024/25 and breakdown by block as set out in Appendix 12.

Transformation Business Case

m)   Note the outline Business Case for transformation presented to the Executive on 7 February 2024 and that transformation was referenced in the DLUHC letter shown in Appendix 13. Transformationproposed to re-size the council so that it focused only on the unique value the council could provide and to reduce the workforce by over 1,000 (20-26%).

n)    Express concern about the ability to deliver, implications and potential outcomes of the changes planned from transformation.

o)    Called for the Executive to consider feedback on transformation from the Corporate and Resources Scrutiny Committee at the earliest opportunity.

Council Tax

p)    Approve the calculations for determining the Council Tax requirement for the year 2024/25 in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as set out in the Council Tax Resolution in Appendix 16.

q)    Agree to continue the Council Tax precept of £14.65, included in the overall band D Council Tax for the shadow Somerset Rivers Authority (representing no increase). This resulted in a Council Tax Requirement of £3,058,900 for the Somerset Rivers Authority.

r)      Approve the Council increase the Council Tax for a band D property for Somerset Council, including the Somerset Rivers Authority Precept, by £82.14 for 2024/25, giving a band D Council Tax of £1,728.18 per year,

                        i.         The general band D Council Tax by 2.99%, £49.22, the maximum permitted without a referendum; and

                       ii.         The Adult Social Care Precept by 2.00%, £32.92.

s)     Approve a Special Expenses rate of £230,977 as detailed in Appendix 5.

t)      Approve the precept requirement of £361,071,003 (including Special Expenses Rate) £360,840,026 (excluding Special Expenses Rates).

u)    Approve the formal Council Tax resolution, in Appendix 16a, which incorporated the precepts of all the precepting bodies.