Agenda item

The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Corporate Director, Resources and Assistant Chief Executive which provided comprehensive financial information in order for Cabinet to agree a 2014/15 balanced revenue budget, an outline Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP (4)) for 2014/15 to 2016/17 and a fully funded capital programme for recommendation to the County Council meeting on 26 February 2014 (for copy see file of minutes).

Councillor J Armstrong, Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Management Board advised that the scrutiny committees had considered in depth the budget proposals put forward by Cabinet. He advised of the drop in sessions for members and the meetings which had been held which had been supported by officers, and having considered whether there were any alternative options to propose the members were confident that the policy changes would successfully deliver the reductions, and congratulated cabinet colleagues on the difficult decisions it needed to make to deliver its reduced budget.

Cabinet members spoke of the continuation of the unprecedented financial reductions being imposed on the Authority, and how further reductions in service were consistently becoming harder to find. Cabinet would continue to lobby the government on the unfair distribution of funds, following the eradication of the equalisation block, and they urged all members to do so too. The consultation exercise which had been undertaken with the public and stakeholders had shaped the recommendations being proposed to full Council.

Resolved:

That the recommendations contained in the report be approved.