Agenda item

The Mayor introduced the item explaining that item 7C, the recommendation from the Executive, would be considered as part of this discussion with the full proposed recommendation being contained in the papers circulated with the agenda.

 

As required by the Regulations there would be a recorded vote on any amendments to the proposed budget together with a final vote.

 

The Mayor clarified that the item would be dealt with under the budget procedure rules and therefore, ordinary rules of debate did not apply.

 

The Mayor invited the Leader of the Council to address the Chamber. 

 

The Leader of the Council introduced the budget and setting of the council tax to members and a copy of the Leaders budget speech is appended to these minutes as Appendix A.

 

The proposal was seconded by Councillor Elizabeth Sparkes.

 

The Leader of the Labour Group on the Council, Councillor Beccy Cooper, addressed the Council and proposed 8 amendments to the budget, appended to these minutes as Appendix B, which she proposed grouping together for the purpose of voting as follows:-

·         Vote 1 - Amendment 2

·         Vote 2 - Amendment 5

·         Vote 3 - Amendments 1, 3 & 7

·         Vote 4 - Amendments 4 & 6

·         Vote 5 - Amendment 8

 

The proposed amendments were seconded by Councillor Carl Walker. 

 

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group on the Council, Councillor Hazel Thorpe, addressed the Council.

 

Members in the Chamber debated the proposed budget and budget amendments.

 

** During the debate (10.25pm), in accordance with the constitution, the Mayor sought approval to extend the time of the meeting beyond four hours. Councillor Smytherman proposed that the meeting be extended in order to conclude the item of business. The motion was seconded by Councillor Cochran and unanimously supported.  

 

In accordance with Budget Procedure Rules, the Leader of the Opposition and the Executive Leader were given rights of reply.

 

The Mayor put each of the amendments to the Council for a vote. Recorded votes were taken, the results of which, are set out below:-

 

Vote 1 - Amendment 2

 

For (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Against (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved that amendment 2 was not supported.

 

 

Vote 2 - Amendment 5

 

For (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Against (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved that amendment 5 was not supported.

 

 

Vote 3 - Amendments 1, 3 & 7

 

For (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Against (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved that amendments 1, 3 & 7 were not supported.

 

 

Vote 4 - Amendments 4 & 6

 

For (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Against (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved that amendments 4 & 6 were not supported.

 

 

 

Vote 5 - Amendment 8

 

For (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Against (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved that amendment 8 was not supported.

 

 

As none of the amendments were supported, the Mayor put Appendix A of the substantive motion to the Council for a vote. A recorded vote was taken, the results of which, are set out below:-

 

For (18): Councillors Atkins, Barraclough, Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, K Harman, L Harman, Humphreys, James, Jenkins, McDonald, Mercer, Murphy, Nowak, Sparkes, N Waight, S Waight & Wills

 

Against (16): Councillors Barrett, Chowdhury, Cooper, Deen, Glynn-Davies, Howard, McCabe, Mulholland, Roser, Silman, D Smith, S Smith, Taylor, Turley, Walker & Wells

 

Abstentions (2): Councillors Smytherman and Thorpe

 

Resolved

 

1)    That it be noted that on 31st January 2022, the Executive calculated the Council Tax Base 2022/23 as 39,610.50 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)];

2)    That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 was £9,996,110.

3)    That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

a)    £75,437,575 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.

b)    £65,441,465 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

c)    £9,996,110 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)    £252.36 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.

e)    £0.00  being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.

f)     £252.36 being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

 

 

 

 

Having been proposed by the Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Mayor and unanimously supported, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 11.14pm.

 

The meeting reconvened at 6.30pm on 1 March 2022.

 

Having reconvened the evening, the Mayor advised Members that they were required to determine the matters referred to in Appendix B of the substantive motion as had been proposed by the Leader, seconded by Councillor Sparkes and debated by the Council at its meeting on the 22nd February.  The Mayor confirmed that the figures included in Appendix B of the agenda pack had not changed following West Sussex County Council’s meeting on the 28th February.

 

A recorded vote was taken, the results of which, are set out below:-

 

For (9): Councillors Cochran, Coxhill, Crouch, L Harman, Jenkins, McDonald, Sparkes, Thorpe and N Waight

 

Against (0):

 

Abstentions (4): Councillors Cooper, Deen, Mulholland and S Smith

 

 

Resolved

 

See Appendix C