Agenda item

Joint Report of the Town Clerk, the Chamberlain, and the Comptroller & City Solicitor.

Members considered a joint report of the Town Clerk, the Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor regarding the Departmental Budget Estimates and High-Level Summary Business Plan 2020-21.

Members discussed the format in which the financial data had been presented to them and a number found it overwhelming and felt that it failed to provide adequate commentary to some of the key variances from the Committee’s original budget. For example, a query was raised as to why the original budget of £6,000 assigned to Local Risk income for “Other Grants, Reimbursements and Contributions”, had increased to £3,377,000. In addition to this, Members felt that there was a lack of clear priorities. Members noted that there would be no in-year budget increases and therefore it was imperative for the budget reports to be sufficient in enabling the Committee to make its decision. On that basis, Members agreed to pass a resolution to the Finance Committee recommending that the format and presentation of budget reports be reconsidered to feature a single-side high level summary.

With regard to unidentified savings referred to in paragraph 7 of the report, Members were assured that they would be provided with greater detail on this in the mid-year report.

A question was raised about the Corporate Performance Framework and when measurable targets would be reported. Members heard that there had been a significant effort put into establishing a consistency of reporting across the Corporation which would ultimately enable the City to allocate its attention and money to the right places. There had been a huge cultural and technological shift and it was the ambition of the Town Clerk to have some initial targets prepared for the July 2020 Resource Allocation Sub-Committee Away Day.

Concern was raised over recommendation iii), which to Members’ minds was a completely uncapped delegation and should not be supported. Members agreed that it would be appropriate for the terms “further” and “minor” in recommendations iii) and iv), to be revised to “immaterial”.

11.48 – Alderman Sir Charles Bowman joined the meeting.

RESOLVED – that,

·         it be recommended to the Finance Committee that the format of the Departmental Budget Estimates be reconsidered to include an overview of headline priorities and a commentary outlining material changes to the Budget, with the intention of enabling Committees to make better informed decisions;

·         the Town Clerks, and Comptrollers and City Solicitors Department’s proposed revenue budget for 2020-21 for submission to Finance Committee, be approved;

·         the Town Clerks and Comptrollers and City Solicitors Department’s proposed capital and supplementary revenue projects budgets for 2020-21 for submission to Finance Committee, be approved;

·         the Chamberlain, in consultation with the Town Clerk, Comptroller and City Solicitors and Chairs of both the Service Committee and Finance Committee, be authorised to revise these budgets to allow for any immaterial implications arising from Corporate Projects, other reviews and changes to the Cyclical Works Programme;

·         agree that immaterial amendments for 2019-20 and 2020-21 budgets arising during budget setting be delegated to the Chamberlain;

·         the factors taken into consideration in compiling the Corporate & Members Services, Human Resources and Comptrollers and City Solicitors Department’s Business Plan, including efficiency measures, be noted; and

·         the final high-level summary Business Plans for 2020-21, be approved.