Issue - meetings

a) Leeds City Council Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2019/2020

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Financial Services on the proposals for the City Council’s Revenue Budget for 2019/2020 and the Leeds element of the Council Tax to be levied on 2019/2020

b) Capital Programme Update 2019 – 2022

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Financial Services on the Capital programme for the period 2019 – 2022

c) Treasury Management Strategy 2019/2020

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Financial Services on the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy for 2019/20

Further to Minute No. 135, 19^th December 2018, the Chief Officer, Financial Services, submitted a suite of reports regarding: proposals for the City Council’s Revenue Budget for 2019/20 and the Leeds element of the Council Tax to be levied during the same period; proposals regarding an updated Capital Programme for 2019-2022 and also a proposed updated Treasury Management Strategy for 2019/20.

(A)  2019/20 Revenue Budget and Council Tax 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That Executive Board recommends to Council the adoption of the following:-

(i)  That the revenue budget for 2019/20 totalling £516.7m be approved. This means that the Leeds element of the Council Tax for 2019/20 will increase by 2.99% plus the Adult Social Care precept of 1%. This excludes the police and fire precepts which will be incorporated into the report to be submitted to Council on the 27 February 2019;

(ii)  That approval be given for grants totalling £65k to be allocated to parishes;

(iii)That approval be given to the strategy at Appendix 9 of the submitted report in respect of the flexible use of capital receipts;

(iv)That in respect of the Housing Revenue Account, Council be recommended to approve the budget with:-

•  A reduction of 1% in dwelling rents in non-Private Finance Initiative areas.

•  An increase of 3.4% in dwelling rents in PFI areas.

•  A 3.3% increase in district heating charges.

•  That service charges for multi-storey flats are increased by £0.75p per week.

•  That service charges for low/medium rise properties are increased by 3.3%.

•  That the charge for tenants who benefit from the sheltered support service currently paying £6 a week be increased to £8 per week.

•  That any overall increase to tenants in respect of rents, service and sheltered support charges are capped at £3.50 per week.

•  That an overall freeze is applied to any tenant who would have seen a weekly increase of less than £1 per week.

(b)  That Executive Board’s authority be given to officers to begin consultations without delay on the proposals for increases to existing fees and charges;

(c)  That Executive Board’s agreement be given to the proposals for the local Business Rates discount scheme for 2019/2020, namely:-

(i)  to offer £1000 discount to independent pubs with a rateable value of between £51,000 and £100,000, these pubs having been offered the same discount by government in 2018/19, but not covered by the 33% discount introduced by government for 2019/20 for retail properties with a rateable value under £51,000; and

(ii)  to continue to freeze the increase faced by businesses who solely provide childcare to the gross level of rates payable in 2017/18, where this increase is as a result of the revaluation;

(d)  That Executive Board’s thanks be extended to Scrutiny Boards for the comments and observations they made in considering the Council’s initial budget proposals.

(B)  Capital Programme Update 2019 – 2022

RESOLVED –

(a)  That Executive Board recommends to Council:-

(i)  the approval of the Capital Programme for 2019-2022  ...  view the full minutes text for item 156