The purpose of this Technical Note is to update Members in relation to the arrangements for the Council’s budget setting.
2. Members will be aware that the Diary of Council meetings for the current year, includes a meeting of Council to determine the Council’s budget, namely 22nd February 2024. This date was set in April of last year and was based on timescales from previous years in terms of availability of information, along with the Council’s usual slot for the printing and issuing of Council Tax bills.
3. As a consequence of the lateness of the settlement (the finance circular was received on 22nd December) and the ongoing discussions/clarifications around the implications of certain funding streams, the fact that the final debate on the Scottish Government budget is scheduled to take place on 28th February, and the Council Tax freeze, there have been discussions around how best to manage the budget setting process in this context.
4. The Chief Executive has liaised with the Provost, Council Leader and other political Group Leaders and it is proposed that the meeting on 22nd February will determine the Housing Revenue and Capital budgets and receive a further report regarding Council Tax. The remainder of the detailed proposals for setting the General Revenue and Capital budgets will be submitted to a separate meeting of the Council on a date yet to be confirmed, week beginning 25 March 2024.
5. The final Agenda for the meeting on 22nd February will be issued on 15th February and will include a reminder of the process and deadlines for submission of amendments. For reference, any amendments to these Budgets will require to be submitted in accordance with Standing Order 74, which requires amendments to be submitted in writing to the Chief Solicitor & Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer by noon on Tuesday 20th February.
6. Further details of the subsequent Budget meeting to set the General Revenue and Capital budgets will be circulated to Members once those arrangements are in place.