Issue - meetings

The Budget proposals were introduced by the Mayor who thanked staff across

all Directorates for their help in compiling the Budget. The Mayor confirmed

that he was proposing a Council Tax rise of 3.99% and proposed to use

Council reserves in order to ensure a balanced budget was achieved.

The Mayor confirmed that he did not intend to vary the budget proposals he

had already fully set out at Mayor and Cabinet on February 7 and 14 and

which did not require further amendment unless there was an unexpected late

change to the GLA precept when that body met to set its budget the following

day.

A motion that the proposals be accepted was moved by the Cabinet Member

for Resources, Councillor Kevin Bonavia and seconded by Councillor Alan

Hall. There was then a general debate to which Councillor Coughlin,

contributed followed by a reply from Councillor Bonavia. During this general

debate on the budget the 5 minute limit on speeches for the Mayor and

Councillors Bonavia, Hall and Coughlin was suspended.

The Council was also addressed by Nike, aged 22, a care leaver who had

been under the wing of the Council since she was 12 years old. She

described her life journey and the various obstacles she had overcome to

reach her current situation. She warmly welcomed the budgetary proposal

that care leavers be exempted from Council Tax, which she said represented

 a meaningful impact for a vulnerable section of the community. The Council

thanked Nike for her commentary and extended their thanks to her, wishing

her well in her future education and career and standing to applaud her

contribution.

Once the debate was concluded, there was, in accordance with statutory

provisions, a recorded vote on the Mayor’s proposed Budget. The result of the

vote was as follows:

46 Votes In favour of the Mayor’s Budget Proposals

Councillor Abdeslam Amrani

Councillor Chris Barnham

Councillor Peter Bernhards

Councillor Chris Best

Councillor Kevin Bonavia

Councillor Andre Bourne

Councillor Bill Brown

Mayor Steve Bullock

Councillor Suzannah Clarke

Councillor Liam Curran

Councillor Janet Daby

Councillor Brenda Dacres

Councillor Amanda De Ryk

Councillor Joe Dromey

Councillor Damien Egan

Councillor Colin Elliott

Councillor Alan Hall

Councillor Carl Handley

Councillor Maja Hilton

Councillor Simon Hooks

Councillor Sue Hordijenko

Councillor Mark Ingleby

Councillor Stella Jeffrey

Councillor Liz Johnston-Franklin

Councillor Roy Kennedy

Councillor Jim Mallory

Councillor Paul Maslin

Councillor Sophie McGeevor

Councillor David Michael

Councillor Joan Millbank

Councillor Hilary Moore

Councillor Pauline Morrison

Councillor John Muldoon

Councillor Rachel Onikosi

Councillor Jacq Paschoud

Councillor John Paschoud

Councillor Pat Raven

Councillor Joan Reid

Councillor Gareth Siddorn

Councillor Jonathan Slater

Councillor Luke Sorba

Councillor Eva Stamirowski

Councillor Alan Till

Councillor Paul Upex

Councillor Susan Wise

Votes Against the Mayor’s Budget Proposals nil

Abstentions (1)

Councillor John Coughlin

RESOLVED that:

(1) the 2017/18 Quarter 3 Capital Programme monitoring position and the

Capital Programme potential future schemes and resources as set out in

section 5 be noted;

(2) the 2018/19 to 2020/21 Capital Programme of £271.5m, as set out in

section 5  ...  view the full minutes text for item 147