This report considers the level of Council Tax for 2019/20 and the policy on reserves. It also provides details of the Council's formula grant funding settlement for 2019/20, the 75% Business Rates Retention Scheme and the requirement for the Council to generate income form a variety of projects.  The 75% Business Rate Retention Schemes is a pilot scheme for 1 year only which is across the North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Councils.  It is expected to benefit the Council in obtaining increased funding, and is a precursor to the 75%  Business Rate Retentions Scheme from 2020/21 that is currently under consultation with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

In accepting the recommendations, Cabinet will approve and recommend to Council various decisions regarding the setting of the level of Council Tax.

The subject of the decision:

This report considered for level of Council Tax for 2019/20 and the policy on reserves. In addition, it provided details of the Council's formula grant settlement for 2019/20; the 75% Business Rates Retention Scheme and the requirement for the Council to generate income from a variety of projects.  The 70% Business Rate Retention Scheme was a pilot scheme for one year only which was across North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Councils.  It was expected to benefit the Council in obtaining increased funding and was a precursor to the new 75% Business Rates Retention Scheme from 2020/21 that was currently under consultation with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Alternative options considered:

None.

The reason for the decision:

To maintain the long term viability of the Council’s finances and ensure sustainability by investing in community projects as determined by the Council’s priorities and supporting the maintenance and enhancement of service delivery. To maintain the integrity of the Council’s financial strategy.

THE DECISION:

That Cabinet recommends to Council:-

(1)       That it be noted that on 15 January 2019 Hambleton District Council calculated the Council Tax Base for 2019/20:-

          (a)     for the whole Council area as 36,847.22  [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")]; and

          (b)     for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Annex A(1).

(2)     That the Council has calculated the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2019/20 (excluding Parish precepts) as £4,034,033.65

(3)     That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

          (a)     District/Parish Gross Expenditure

                   £ 47,644,004.00       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

          (b)     District/Parish Gross Income (including Government Grants, use of Reserves and Collection Fund Surpluses etc)

                   £ 42,107,836.30       being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act

          (c)     District/Parish Net Expenditure

                   £ 5,536,167.70         being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) 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)

          (d)     Basic Amount of Tax (including average Parish Precepts)

                   £ 150.2466               being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R) all divided by Item T (1(a) 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)

          (e)     Parish Precepts

                   £ 1,502,134.05         being the aggregate of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per Annex ‘A’)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58