Issue - meetings

(a)        That the Revenue Budget for 2012/13 be approved in the sum of £14,260,980 as set out in Appendix B.

(b)                    That £179,000 of the Budget Support Fund be utilised to fund the 2012/13 budget.

(c)                    That the Council Tax at Band ‘D’ be £176.93, unchanged from 2011/12.

(d)                    That the Capital Programme to 2012/13 be approved as set out in Appendix E, together with the Prudential Indicator relating to the Incremental Impact of Capital Investment Decisions on the Council Tax.

(e)                    That the revised minimum balances requirement be £1,500,000 and the excess of £350,000 above the current levels be transferred to the Contingency Reserve (£80,000), the Insurance Fund (£120,000) and the Provision for Bad Debts (sundry debtors) (£150,000).

(f)                     That it be noted that at its meeting on the 18 January 2012 the Cabinet calculated the following amounts for the year 2012/13:

(i)         39,136 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its council tax base for the whole Council area for the year (Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”))

(ii)        For dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area to which a Parish precept relates as in the table below:

(g)        That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2012/13 (excluding Parish precepts) is £6,924,370.

(h)        That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2012/13 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(i)         £72,857,996 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.

(ii)        £65,602,240 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act.

(iii)       £7,255,756 being the amount by which the aggregate at (h)(i) above exceeds the aggregate at (h)(ii) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

(iv)       £185.40 being the amount at h (iii) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (f (i) above),  calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

(v)        £331,386 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34 (1) of the Act.

(vi)       £176.93 being the amount at (h) (iv) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (h) (v) above by item T (f (i) above), calculated by  ...  view the full decision text for item 7

A detailed report was submitted outlining the recommendations made by the Cabinet in respect of the Revenue and Capital Budgets and Council Tax for 2012/13.

A lengthy debate ensued during which the following amendments to the substantive motion were proposed:-

Amendment 1

After the words “………set out in Appendix A” add

To take an additional £80,000 from the Budget Support Fund in the 2012/13 financial year and to refund this from the elections budget in 2013/14, the year in which the Borough does not have elections.  That this money be put into a ‘Newcastle Borough Fund’ to support projects for young people not in education, employment or training.

A requisition pursuant to Standing Order 28 for the voting on such proposition to be recorded in the minutes to show how each member voted resulted as follows:-

For the amendment (24)

The Mayor (T Hambleton), Councillors Allport, Mrs Astle, Bailey, Mrs Bates, Mrs Beech, Boden, Mrs Burnett, Cairns, M R Clarke, Eagles, Mrs Hambleton, Mrs Johnson, Kearon, Miss Olszewski, Olszewski, Robinson, Mrs Simpson, Snell, J Taylor, K-N Taylor, Waring, Mrs Williams and Williams

Against the amendment (28)

Bannister, Blair, Mrs Burke, D Clarke, Miss J M Cooper, Cooper, Mrs Cornes, Gilmore, Mrs Heames, Mrs Heesom, Holland, Howells, Jones, Loades, Matthews, Mrs Myatt, Miss Reddish, Richards, Mrs Shenton, Slater, Studd, Sweeney, J Tagg, S Tagg, Miss Walklate, Welsh, Wemyss and Wilkes.

Amendment 2

After the words “……….set out in Appendix A” add

To establish a new post of Town Centres Manager to be funded in 2012/13 from the funds currently allocated for the Member Local Initiative Fund (£30,000) and subsequently by contributions from businesses and the town and parish councils.

A requisition pursuant to Standing Order 28 for the voting on such proposition to be recorded in the minutes to show how each member present and voting gave their vote resulted as follows:-

For the amendment (23)

The Mayor (T Hambleton), Councillors Allport, Mrs Astle, Bailey, Mrs Bates, Mrs Beech, Boden, Mrs Burnett, Cairns, M R Clarke, Eagles, Mrs Hambleton, Mrs Johnson, Kearon, Miss Olszewski, Olszewski, Robinson, Mrs Simpson, Snell, J Taylor, Waring, Mrs Williams and Williams

Against the amendment (28)

Bannister, Blair, Mrs Burke, D Clarke, Miss J M Cooper, Cooper, Mrs Cornes, Gilmore, Mrs Heames, Mrs Heesom, Holland, Howells, Jones, Loades, Matthews, Mrs Myatt, Miss Reddish, Richards, Mrs Shenton, Slater, Studd, Sweeney, J Tagg, S Tagg, K-N Taylor, Miss Walklate, Wemyss and Wilkes.

Abstention

Councillor Welsh

Amendment 3

After the words “……….set out in Appendix A” add

To establish a fund to subsidise the installation of anti-burglary equipment for older and vulnerable people in areas with the highest crime rates in the Borough.

The fund to be established in 2012/13 through savings on the Council’s car lease scheme.

A named vote was not called for in respect of the above amendment that was lost on a vote of 28 votes to 21.

No further amendments were proposed as a consequence of which the Council proceeded to a vote on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7