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Councillor Liz Leyshon
proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Bill
Revans.
 
Having been duly proposed
and seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:
Revenue Budget
a)   
Note the conclusions of the Council’s Section
151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) in his Section 25 report
confirming the robustness of the budget estimates and the adequacy
of the level of reserves for 2024/25 and his warning about the
2025/26 financial year.
b)   
Approve the additional funding for pressures
requirements set out in Appendix 6.
c)    
Approve the savings and income generation plans
outlined in Appendix 7, considering the detailed
Equalities Impact Assessments
d)   
Note the MTFP Cumulative Impact Assessment in
Appendix 15
e)   
Approve the General Fund net revenue budget for
2024/25 of £601.775m and the individual service budgets for
2024/25 as outlined in Appendix 2.
f)     
Note that in order to
balance the 2024/25 budget, that revenue spend would be capitalised
in accordance with the Capitalisation Directive from DLUHC of
£36.9m
g)   
Delegate of any amendments within the final
Government Financial Settlement and the final Business Rates
amendments to the Executive Director of Resources and Corporate
Services (Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Leader of
the Council. 
Reserves
h)   
Note that the level of General Reserves was
maintained within the risk-based assessment range of £30m
minimum to £60m maximum level.
i)     
Approve that £36.8m from the Medium-Term
Financial Plan Support Reserve was used to help balance the 2024/25
budget.
j)     
Note the overall estimated position of Earmarked
Reserves outlined in Table 14
and the proposed use of reserves detailed in Appendix
10 which included the estimated use of Earmarked Reserves
during the year.
Dedicated Schools Grant
(DSG)
k)    
Note the forecast spending on the Dedicated Schools
Grant was forecast to exceed the funding provided by government by
£23.4m in 2024/25 and was projected to reach a cumulative
deficit of £96.2m by 31 March 2026.
l)     
Note the overall Dedicated Schools Grant allocation
of £533.3m for 2024/25 and breakdown by block as set out in
Appendix 12.
Transformation Business
Case
m)  
Note the outline Business Case for transformation
presented to the Executive on 7 February 2024 and
that transformation was referenced in the DLUHC letter shown in
Appendix 13.
Transformationproposed to re-size
the council so that it focused only on the unique value the council
could provide and to reduce the
workforce by over 1,000 (20-26%).
n)   
Express concern about the ability to deliver,
implications and potential outcomes of the changes planned from
transformation.
o)   
Called for the Executive to consider feedback on
transformation from the Corporate and Resources Scrutiny Committee
at the earliest opportunity.
Council Tax
p)   
Approve the calculations for determining the Council
Tax requirement for the year 2024/25 in accordance with the Local
Government Finance Act 1992 as set out in the Council Tax
Resolution in Appendix 16.
q)   
Agree to continue the Council Tax precept of
£14.65, included in the overall band D Council Tax for the
shadow Somerset Rivers Authority (representing no increase). This
resulted in a Council Tax Requirement of £3,058,900 for the
Somerset Rivers Authority.
r)     
Approve the Council increase the Council Tax for a
band D property for Somerset Council, including the Somerset Rivers
Authority Precept, by £82.14 for 2024/25, giving a band D
Council Tax of £1,728.18 per year,
                       
i.        
The general band D Council Tax by 2.99%,
£49.22, the maximum permitted without a referendum;
and
                      
ii.        
The Adult Social Care Precept by 2.00%,
£32.92.
s)    
Approve a Special Expenses rate of £230,977 as
detailed in Appendix 5.
t)     
Approve the precept requirement of
£361,071,003 (including Special Expenses Rate)
£360,840,026 (excluding Special Expenses Rates).
u)   
Approve the formal Council Tax resolution, in
Appendix 16a, which incorporated the precepts of all the
precepting bodies.