Agenda item

The Charter Trustees for the City of Durham considered a report of the Treasurer which sought agreement on the timetable and process for setting the budget and council tax requirement for the Charter Trustees for 2014/15 (for copy see file of  minutes).

The Treasurer advised that early indications showed that the council tax base for 2014/15 would reduce by 46.4 (from £23,854.0 to 23,807.6) as a result of this decrease the council tax receivable would decrease by 176.32 from £90,645.20 to £90,468.88 at the current Band D rate.

Further information was provided in respect of the anticipated Local Council Tax Support Scheme, and it was noted that the amount payable to the Charter Trustees for 2014/15 would reduce by £9,360 (by £1,038 from £10,398 in 2013/14).

In addition it was also reported that there was also a possibility that a Council Tax capping control could be imposed on Town and Council Parish Councils from 2014/15.

In conclusion the Treasurer proposed that members of the budget working group meet early December to discuss the budget prior to the full meeting scheduled to be held on 8 January 2014. Further information may also be available at that time from the Council’s Constitution Working Group.

Resolved:

(i)            That a working group be established to consider options on the level of budget and council tax required for 2014/15 and report their recommendations to Charter Trustees at the meeting on 8 January 2014;

(ii)          That the precept be agreed at the meeting scheduled to be held 8 January 2014;

(iii)         That the deadline for agreeing the precept for 2014/15 be noted.