Purpose

Report on the year end forecast and financial position for the General Fund and Special Expenses for 2024/25.

Decision

Cabinet:

1)   
NOTED the year end forecast and financial
position for the General Fund and Special Expenses for 2024/25.

2)   
RECOMMENDED that Council approves the
revenue budget  for
2025/26 for General and Special Expenses, including proposed growth, as set out
in Appendices A, B, C and D and summarised in the report at section 4.4; 

3)    RECOMMENDED
that Council approves an overall Band D council tax increase of 2.99%, with
the individual Band D council tax levels across each fund set out in the report
at paragraph 4.4.5;

4)    RECOMMENDED
that Council delegates authority to the Chief Executive in consultation
with the Director for Corporate Services to access the Corporate Priorities
Reserve to fund any of the approved growth items where UKSPF cannot be used due
to not meeting the funding criteria;

5)    RECOMMENDED
that Council delegates authority to the Director for Housing and
Communities in consultation with the Director for Corporate Services to access
the reserves up to £100k to fund the one off costs of
preparing for the implementation of food waste collection and recycling
reforms;

6)    RECOMMENDED
that Council delegates authority to Director for Corporate Services in
consultation with the Director for Housing and Communities to approve a
supplementary estimate to support any ongoing additional revenue costs of
providing up to five additional waste collection vehicles and delivery of a
food waste collection service;

7)    RECOMMENDED
that Council notes that the Council’s employee establishment will be
updated in line with any changes arising from approval of any of the growth
proposals set out in Appendices A and B; 

8)    RECOMMENDED
that Council approves that any current year surplus/deficit on general
expenses at 31 March 2025 be met by transfers to or
from the Corporate Priorities Reserve in order to maintain the working balance
at its agreed level of £1m; 

9)    RECOMMENDED
that Council approves that any current year surplus/deficit for Special
Expenses Melton Mowbray at 31 March 2025 be
transferred to/from the Special Expenses Reserve thereby bringing the actual
working balance back to the target £50k;

10) RECOMMENDED
that Council notes the changes made to the risk categorisation of budgets
as set out in Appendix 1 at paragraph 4.6.2 and Appendix F.