Meeting documents

(Notes: 1. Members had been granted dispensations to take part and vote in relation to the budget and council tax setting items on the agenda following the elections held in 2013, and subsequent by-elections.

2. The Chairman highlighted that the Council was required to take a recorded vote following discussion of the budget.)

Cllr Rebecca Knox, the Leader of the Council, presented the budget for 2018/19 to 2020/21 (a copy of the Leader's speech is set out in an annexure to these minutes). She proposed the recommendations put forward by the Cabinet. The proposals were seconded by Tony Ferrari, Cabinet Member for Communities and Resources.

Cllr Tony Ferrari, as the Cabinet Member for Community and Resources, spoke about the 4 key pressures for the Council’s expenditure.  He highlighted the negotiation with employees which had produced a larger settlement than was forecast, and whilst he was pleased staff would receive an increase it reflected negatively on the overall budget position.  To deliver the same services, the following year the Council would need to spend £10m more.  He referred to several demographic pressures, including the number of children in care, which was currently 446, that the population rose at between 1-2% per annum and there was more end of life care for dementia sufferers needed.   He then referred to some flexibility that was available in the number of areas that the Council had chosen to invest in and highlighted the £1m recruitment drive to attract more social workers to Dorset and the move of the Dorchester Learning Centre to a more suitable location.  He also highlighted the finding in foster care placements and school building programmes.  He concluded by noting that this was a good budget at difficult financial time.

Cllr Nick Ireland, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, then addressed the meeting and highlighted that it had been another year of financial blight and he felt that this budget only promised more cuts. He stated that borrowing was £30m up from the previous year and that the debt was over 77% of the Council’s budget, with the interest alone being nearly £8m.  The County Council was now in a position of raising the maximum council tax it could and referred to the cuts in bus services which forced more cars onto the road and children were on streets from youth club closures.  He also noted a concern about losing good staff because of the forthcoming Local Government Reorganisation proposals.  He urged the Council to do more to influence funding from Government.

Cllr Jon Orrell, Deputy Leader of the Green Group, addressed the meeting in the absence of the Leader of the Group. He felt that in respect of funding the County Council was being penalised for delivering well.  In respect of dementia care, nationally this had been ducked and deserved a national solution to a national problem.  He had sympathy with the Cabinet and officers and felt that a good job had been done, making the ‘best of a bad hand’.  He was concerned that the people paying the price of this were the poorest, this was a regressive situation that we now found ourselves in.  The gap between the rich and poor was widening. He made reference to the cuts in adult social care and asked if anything could be done to stop them.

Cllr Kate Wheller, from the Labour Group, commended the Cabinet on achieving a balanced budget but felt it had been done at the cost of the most vulnerable people in the community.  She was now seeing real hardship in her division which was a very deprived and vulnerable area of the County.  She pleaded for the Government to do more.

Members took the opportunity to ask questions regarding the budget setting process and items within the budget, and Cabinet members responded to each of the individual points raised.  Issues raised included the change in respect of POPPS to a service which would now improve lives for all and not be restricted to just those people over 50; the social care precept and that the full 3% in this financial year would be taken and was ringfenced for social care; the strong messages that needed to be sent to the Government and Dorset MPs regarding funding.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Care responded to a question regarding the 5% increase in fairer charging money and explained this had achieved cross party approval through the Executive Advisory Panel on Pathways to Independence.  There had not been any rises for around 6 years and therefore charging was not fair.  Research found that this increase affected very few people and made the Council compliant with the Care Act, and there was an eligibility assessment that was undertaken regarding the ability of services users to pay.

The Leader concluded that there was not enough spend to meet the demands of the electorate and that Dorset was part of a drive with Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to campaign the Government which was supported by all MPs across the South West.

In accordance with Standing Order 44, the votes for and against Recommendation 18a.1(a) were recorded as follows:

For (28): Pauline Batstone, Kevin Brookes, Cherry Brooks, Ray Bryan, Steve Butler, Graham Carr-Jones, Andrew Cattaway, Toni Coombs, Hilary Cox, Deborah Croney, Jean Dunseith, Tony Ferrari, Spencer Flower, Katharine Garcia, Peter Hall, Jill Haynes, Colin Jamieson, David Jones, Rebecca Knox, Andrew Parry, Mary Penfold, Margaret Phipps, Byron Quayle, David Shortell, William Trite, Daryl Turner, David Walsh and Peter Wharf.

Against (0)

Abstain (10): Jon Andrews, Shane Bartlett, Derek Beer, Richard Biggs, Beryl Ezzard, David Harris, Nick Ireland, Susan Jefferies, Jon Orrell and Kate Wheller.

In accordance with Standing Order 44, the votes for and against Recommendation 18a (b, c) and 18a.2 were recorded as follows:

For (38): Jon Andrews, Shane Bartlett, Pauline Batstone, Derek Beer, Richard Biggs,  Kevin Brookes, Cherry Brooks, Ray Bryan, Steve Butler, Graham Carr-Jones, Andrew Cattaway, Toni Coombs, Hilary Cox, Deborah Croney, Jean Dunseith, Beryl Ezzard, Tony Ferrari, Katharine Garcia, Peter Hall, David Harris, Jill Haynes, Nick Ireland, Colin Jamieson, Susan Jefferies, David Jones, Rebecca Knox, Jon Orrell, Andrew Parry, Mary Penfold, Margaret Phipps, Byron Quayle, David Shortell, William Trite, David Walsh, Peter Wharf and Kate Wheller.

Against (0)

Abstain (0)

In accordance with Standing Order 44, the votes for and against Recommendation 18a.3 were recorded as follows:

For (29): Pauline Batstone, Kevin Brookes, Cherry Brooks, Ray Bryan, Steve Butler, Graham Carr-Jones, Andrew Cattaway, Toni Coombs, Hilary Cox, Deborah Croney, Jean Dunseith, Tony Ferrari, Spencer Flower, Katharine Garcia, Peter Hall, Jill Haynes, Colin Jamieson, David Jones, Rebecca Knox, Andrew Parry, Mary Penfold, Margaret Phipps, Byron Quayle, David Shortell, William Trite, Daryl Turner, David Walsh, Peter Wharf and Kate Wheller.

Against (9): Jon Andrews, Shane Bartlett, Derek Beer, Richard Biggs, Beryl Ezzard, David Harris, Nick Ireland, Susan Jefferies and Jon Orrell.

Abstain (0)

Resolved

That recommendation 18a from the meeting held on 31 January 2018 be approved.

Recommendation 18(a) – Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and Budget 2018-19 to 2020-21

1.    That the County Council be recommended to approve:

a)    The revenue budget strategy for 2018-19 to 2020-21;

b)    The budget requirement and precept for 2018-19; and,

c)    The position on general balances and reserves.

2.    That the Chief Financial Officer present to the County Council a schedule setting out the Council Tax for each category of dwelling and the precepts on each of the Dorset Councils for 2018-19.

3.   That the proposal to increase fees and charges for non-residential adult social care services by 5% in 2018-19 be approved.

Reason for Recommendations

To approve the Council Tax increase for 2018-19 and to enable work to continue to refine and manage the County Council’s budget strategy for the remaining MTFP period.