Agenda item

Council Tax and Budget Setting 2021-22

Meeting of Council, Tuesday, 23 February 2021 7.30 pm (Item 56.)

Minutes:

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.4.1, an extension of time was given to Councillor John Burden and an equal amount of time to Cllrs Jordan Meade and Harold Craske.

The Chief Executive reminded Members that all individual votes in relation to the budget and any amendments thereto would be recorded as required by legislation.

It was moved by Cllr John Burden and seconded by Cllr Lee Croxton that:-

The motion before Council as set out in the order paper be approved.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Jordan Meade and seconded by Councillor Ejaz Aslam that:-

The Council will introduce free town centre parking, across all

Council-operated carparks, until 12noon each day, for a period of six

months, in order to increase town centre footfall for local businesses as

they meet the challenges of the Covid-19 recovery.

Note: To be enacted once the lockdown is lifted and retail may legally

open.

Costings

For 6 months there would be a loss of income of £104K

It is proposed that this be funded from working balances, taking the

current shortfall for 2025/26 from £653,370 to £753,490.

These figures have been costed by the Parking and Finance Teams and

checked by the Section 151 Officer.

Following a debate, the amendment was put to the meeting and declared to be lost by 18 votes to 23:-

For the motion

Against the motion

Abstain

Cllrs: D Ashenden, H Ashenden, Aslam, Bains, Broadley, Dibben, A Elliott, E Elliott, Harding, Hills, Hoskins, Lane, Meade, Morton, Pritchard, Rice, Tiran, Wardle.

The Worshipful the Mayor

Cllrs: Bungar, Burden, Craske, Croxton, Francis, Gow, Hayre, Khabra, L Milner, Mochrie-Cox, Morley, Mulheran, Rana, C Rolles, L Rolles, Sangha, Scollard, Singh, Sullivan, Thandi, Thompson and Wallace.

Cllr Pearton.

The substantive motion was put to the meeting and declared to be carried by 24 votes to 18

For the motion

Against the motion

Abstain

The Worshipful the Mayor

Cllrs: Bungar, Burden, Craske, Croxton, Francis, Gow, Hayre, Khabra, L Milner, Mochrie-Cox, Morley, Mulheran, Pearton, Rana, C Rolles, L Rolles, Sangha, Scollard, Singh, Sullivan, Thandi, Thompson and Wallace.

Cllrs: D Ashenden, H Ashenden, Aslam, Bains, Broadley, Dibben, A Elliott, E Elliott, Harding, Hills, Hoskins, Lane, Meade, Morton, Pritchard, Rice, Tiran, Wardle.

None.

It was therefore resolved that:-

It be noted that on 11 January 2021 the Director (Corporate Services) calculated;;

	(a)		the Council Tax Base 2021-22 for the whole Council area as 34,425.11 Band D equivalent properties, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011
	(b)		for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as set out below;
			Part of the Council's area:				£
			Cobham				676.79
			Higham				1,574.64
			Luddesdown				100.87
			Meopham				3,059.59
			Shorne				1,158.33
			Vigo				716.71
			Gravesham & Northfleet				27,138.18
			Total				34,425.11
	2.		Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2021-22 (excluding Parish precepts) is £7,333,580 (£213.03 per Band D Property).
	3.		That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2021-22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011:
	(a)		£65,553,690	being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.
	(b)		£57,816,950	being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.
	(c)		£7,736,740	being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year.
(d)			£224.74	being the amount at 3(c) above , all divided by Item 1a above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).
(e)			£403,160	being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.
(f)			£213.03	being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item 1a above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates.
(g)			Part of the Council's area:					£
			Parish of:
				Cobham				257.36
				Higham				272.17
				Luddesdown				282.01
				Meopham				251.95
				Shorne				246.60
				Vigo				373.65
being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3(f) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council's area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 1(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its council tax for the year for the dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.
(h)		Part of the Council's area
									Valuation Bands
				A	B	C			D	E	F	G	H
		Parish of:		£	£	£			£	£	£	£	£
		Cobham		171.57	200.17	228.76			257.36	314.55	371.74	428.93	514.72
		Higham		181.45	211.69	241.93			272.17	332.65	393.13	453.62	544.34
		Luddesdown		188.01	219.34	250.68			282.01	344.68	407.35	470.02	564.02
		Meopham		167.97	195.96	223.96			251.95	307.94	363.93	419.92	503.90
		Shorne		164.40	191.80	219.20			246.60	301.40	356.20	411.00	493.20
		Vigo		249.10	290.62	332.13			373.65	456.68	539.72	622.75	747.30
		All other parts		142.02	165.69	189.36			213.03	260.37	307.71	355.05	426.06
		being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 3(f) and 3(g) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

4.	That it be noted that for the year 2021-22 the Kent County Council has stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-

Valuation Bands
			A		B			C			D		E		F		G		H
			£		£			£			£		£		£		£		£
			945.84		1,103.48			1,261.12			1,418.76		1,734.04		2,049.32		2,364.60		2,837.52
5.	That it be noted that for the year 2021-22 the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent has stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-
Valuation Bands
				A			B			C		D		E		F		G		H
				£			£			£		£		£		£		£		£
				145.43			169.67			193.91		218.15		266.63		315.11		363.58		436.30
6.	That it be noted that for the year 2021-22 the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority, has stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below: -
Valuation Bands
				A			B			C		D		E		F		G		H
				£			£			£		£		£		£		£		£
				53.88			62.86			71.84		80.82		98.78		116.74		134.70		161.64
7.	That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3(h), 4, 5 and 6 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of council tax for the year 2021-22 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-
	Part of the Council's area										Valuation Bands
		A				B			C		D		E		F		G			H
	Parish of:	£				£			£		£		£		£		£			£
	Cobham	1,316.72				1,536.18			1,755.63		1,975.09		2,414.00		2,852.91		3,291.81			3,950.18
	Higham	1,326.60				1,547.70			1,768.80		1,989.90		2,432.10		2,874.30		3,316.50			3,979.80
	Luddesdown	1,333.16				1,555.35			1,777.55		1,999.74		2,444.13		2,888.52		3,332.90			3,999.48
	Meopham	1,313.12				1,531.97			1,750.83		1,969.68		2,407.39		2,845.10		3,282.80			3,939.36
	Shorne	1,309.55				1,527.81			1,746.07		1,964.33		2,400.85		2,837.37		3,273.88			3,928.66
	Vigo	1,394.25				1,626.63			1,859.00		2,091.38		2,556.13		3,020.89		3,485.63			4,182.76
	All other parts	1,287.17				1,501.70			1,716.23		1,930.76		2,359.82		2,788.88		3,217.93			3,861.52

8. The Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021-22 at Appendix 3 be approved;

9. Consideration was given to the view of the Director (Corporate Services) (as S151 Officer) on the robustness of estimates for the coming year, the medium term financial strategy and the adequacy of proposed reserves and balances, as required under Section 25 of the Local Government Finance Act 2003

10. The Council Tax Base as set out at Appendix 4 be ratified;

11. Consideration was given to the budget proposals contained within the report and the proposed Budget Book for Gravesham Borough Council provided at Appendix 7, and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account revenue and capital budgets for 2021-22 be determined, noting the provisional estimates for the further nine years

12. Consideration was given to the supplementary report to the budget and the proposals within that report and it was agreed that delegated responsibility be provided to the Director (Corporate Services) in consultation with the Chief Executive and The Leader to take all necessary practical, financial and legal actions as required.

13. The Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2021-22 be agreed.

14. Gravesham Borough Council agreed that working age residents liable for Council Tax and in receipt of Localised Support for Council Tax during the 2021/22 billing period, either on the 1 April 2021 or become eligible during the year, are credited with an amount of £5 (or their net liability if lower) against their Council Tax account for that year.

This will be granted by Gravesham Borough Council through the use of powers under Section 13a of the Local Government Act 1992, applied to accounts after the up to £50 reduction awarded from Kent County Council ‘Council Tax Hardship Relief Support Scheme’ and will be subject to Kent County Council meeting the administrative and system upgrade costs associated with applying and such reduction.

Supporting documents: