Agenda item

Report of the Head of Finance/Deputy S151 Officer.

Councillor F S Ghattoraya entered the meeting at 7.13pm after the commencement of the debate, and therefore did not take part in the vote thereon.

The Council gave consideration to the report (as set out at pages 10 - 15 of the agenda reports pack) which asked it set and approve the amount of Council Tax for the Borough of Oadby and Wigston for 2021/22 in accordance with section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011. A brief summary of the proposals was delivered by the Vice-Chair of Policy, Finance and Development Committee, Councillor Dr I K Ridley, followed by an update from the Head of Finance.

A number of Members drew attention to the fact that the Borough Council only receives 12% of Council Tax collected, and requested that the Council should communicate clearly to its residents that despite being the collection authority, the majority of the percentage split (72%) goes to Leicestershire County Council.

A number of questions were raised by Members regarding how the £150 Council Tax rebate for properties in Bands A-D would be administered, and reassurance was sought that payments would be made to eligible households as efficiently as possible. It was confirmed by Officers that government guidance had only been issued the day before the meeting so the detail was still being reviewed, however residents were to be encouraged to sign-up for direct debit payments in order to receive the rebate automatically early in the financial year 2022/23. It was clarified that where the Council does not hold live direct debit instructions for an eligible household, contact would be made in order for them to make a claim.

The recommendations were moved en bloc by Councillor Dr I K Ridley, seconded by Mrs S B Morris and it was

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

A.     It be noted that under powers delegated to the Chief Financial Officer, the Council has calculated the amount of 17,602.15 as its Council Tax base for the financial year 2022/23 in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012.

B.     It be noted that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 is £4,215,715.

C.     The following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended):

(i)       £35,644,007 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(2) of the Act.

(ii)     £31,428,292 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(3) of the Act.

(iii)    £4,215,715 being the amount by which the aggregate at C(i) above exceeds the aggregate at C(ii) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31 A (4) of the Act, as its Council Tax Requirement for the year.

(iv)    £239.50 being the amount at C(iii) divided by the amount at A above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 3 B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(v)     Valuation Bands

Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at C(iv) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation Band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 36(1) of the Act, as the amount to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different  valuation bands.

D.    It is noted that for the year 2022/23, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester/shire, and the Leicester/shire and Rutland Combined Fire Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories shown below and that Leicestershire County Council have indicated that their provisional precept will be confirmed on 23 February 2022.

 Precepting Authorities - Valuation Bands

E.     That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at C(v) and D above, the Council, in accordance with section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, set the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2022/23 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below.

 Valuation Bands

In accordance with Rule 18.3.2 of Part 4 of the Constitution, as required by Regulation 4 and Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 (as amended), the names of the Members who casted a vote for the motion or against the motion or who abstained from voting were recorded as follows: