Agenda and minutes

To sign as a true record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 30 January 2013.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 30 January 2013 be signed as a true record.

Members are invited to disclose any pecuniary interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting. 

Members may still disclose any pecuniary interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

Note – please also refer to note (2) attached.

Each Member present disclosed a pecuniary interest as a Council Tax payer or member of households for which Council Tax was paid, and as a recipient of Members’ Allowances (agenda items 7 and 8/minutes 88 and 89).

The Mayor’s Announcements are attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

In the course of her announcements, the Mayor referred to the forthcoming retirement of Ian Buckmaster, Committee Administration and Member Support Manager, thanked him for his service since 1973 and wished him well for the future. At later points in the meeting, the Leader of the Council and other Members added their best wishes.

To consider any procedural motion in relation to the conduct of business for this meeting.

The following procedural motion was agreed without division:

1.         That agenda items 7 and 8 be debated together; and

2.         That Council Procedure Rule 13.4 be suspended so as to allow 30 minutes each for the speeches of the proposers of the two reports and the amendments to them

A         To consider the report of the Cabinet of 13 February 2013:

B         To note the decision of the Greater London Authority on its budget and precept for 2013/14 and the effect thereof on the Council’s budget (to be tabled at the meeting)

C         To agree a budget for 2013/14; and then

D         To set the Council Tax for 2013/14

The Greater London Authority’s budget and precept will not be confirmed until Monday, 25 February. Details of the final GLA decision will be tabled at the meeting.

7A       Amendment by the Residents’ Group

            That the alternative budget proposals set out in Table 7A attached be adopted and all necessary consequential adjustments made.

Note:

the deadline for amendments to the following item is

midnight, Monday 25 February

Council had before it a report of the Cabinet (incorporating the budget proposals for 2013/14).

Amendment to budget proposals by the Residents’ Group

That the adjustments set out in the accompanying table 7A* be made in the budget.

[* see Appendix 2 to these minutes]

Following debate, the Residents’ Group amendment was LOST by 15 votes to 28 (see voting division 1). The recommendations of Cabinet were ADOPTED by 35 votes to 0 (see division 2) and it was RESOLVED:

[NOTE: The full text of the resolution is set out in the attached document, Budget and Council Tax Resolutions].

To consider the report of the Chief Executive (attached)

8A       Amendment by the Residents’ Group

            That the amended Special Responsibility Allowances shown in Table 8A be adopted and all necessary consequential adjustments made.

MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO RETAIN THE

REPORT TO CABINET ON 13 FEBRUARY

FOR REFERENCE AT THIS MEETING

Council received the report of the Chief Executive.

Amendment by the Residents’ Group

That the table of SRAs in paragraph 1.4 of the report (and Schedule 1 of the draft scheme), be deleted and that the following be inserted in its place:

Following debate, the Residents’ Group amendment was LOST by 15 votes to 29 (see division 3). The recommendations in the report were ADOPTED by 35 votes to 0 (see voting division 4) and it was RESOLVED:

1          That the Members’ Allowances scheme (as set out in Appendix 3 to these minutes) become effective from 1 April 2013 and the existing scheme be revoked with effect from the same date.

2          That the total number of Special Responsibility Allowances may exceed the recommended 50%. In the event of this occurring, Council endorse the justification set out in the report.

The record of voting divisions is attached as Appendix 3 to these minutes.