Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology on the draft budget and 2004 – 2009 Medium Term Plan.

  Agreed to defer the recommendation to full Council on the budget for 2004/05 and the Medium Term Plan until the Cabinet’s next meeting to enable the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels to be considered and approved a supplementary estimate of £20,000  in respect of the cost of commissioning specialist consultants to undertake an opinion survey to ascertain the preferences of Council Taxpayers on options for Council Tax levels and their impact on the delivery of District Council services over the MTP period.

Further to Minute No. 03/69 the Cabinet received a report by the Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) regarding the proposed budget for 2004/05 and the capital and revenue effects of the Medium Term Plan (MTP).

It was reported that both Overview and Scrutiny Panels had been unable to conclude their recommendations on the Medium Term Plan and had agreed to convene special meetings to discuss the matter on 20th and 27th November 2003.  Given that the budget was to be tabled for discussion at the meeting of full Council on 10th December 2003 and to facilitate consultation with Council taxpayers on options for Council tax levels, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)that the budget for 2004/05 and the Medium Term Plan be deferred until the next meeting to enable the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels to be considered and that thereafter the Cabinet’s recommendations be tabled at the meeting of full Council on 10th December 2003; and

  (b)that a supplementary estimate of £20,000 be approved in respect of the cost of commissioning specialist consultants to undertake an opinion survey to ascertain the preferences of Council Taxpayers on options for Council Tax levels and their impact on the delivery of District Council services over the period of the Medium Term Plan.