Rother District Council Report to - Council Date - 24 February 2020 Report of the - Executive Directors Subject - Budget 2020/21 Recommendation: It be RESOLVED: That the formal Council Tax Resolution at Appendix A be approved. Introduction 1. The Localism Act 2011 requires the billing authority to calculate a Council Tax requirement for the year, not its budget requirement as previously. 2. The precept levels of other precepting bodies have all now been received. These are detailed below: Town and Parish Councils 3. The Town and Parish Council Precepts (including Special Expenses for Bexhill and Rye) for 2020/21 are detailed in Appendix B and total £2,460,703 (2019/20 £2,330,405). The increase results in an average Band D Council Tax figure of £64.54 for 2020/21. East Sussex County Council 4. East Sussex County Council met on 11 February 2020 and set their precept at £56,882,666 (2019/20 £54,599,262) for the area of Rother. This results in a Band D Council Tax of £1,492.02 (2019/20 £1,434.78). This includes the Adult Social Care Precept of £129.60 at Band D in Council Tax. Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner 5. Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner met on 7 February 2020 and set their precept at £7,621,488.79 (2019/20 £7,226,854.13) for the area of Rother. This results in a Band D Council Tax of £199.91 (2019/20 £189.91). East Sussex Fire Authority 6. East Sussex Fire Authority met on 13 February 2020 and set their precept at £3,642,043 (2019/20 £3,564,528) for the area of Rother. This results in a Band D Council Tax of £95.53 (2019/20 £93.67). Excessive Council Tax increases 7. The Localism Act 2011 introduced a requirement for a local authority to determine whether its basic amount of Council Tax for a financial year is excessive, in which case a local referendum would be needed. Schedule 5 of the Localism Act 2011 has inserted a new chapter 4ZA into part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Section 52ZB sets out the steps needed to determine the level of tax which would be ‘excessive’. These steps are in effect c200224 - Budget 2020/21 to compare the level of increase in Council Tax with principles set out by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has indicated that, for 2020/21, an increase up to 3% or more than £5 and above in a District Council’s Council Tax would be excessive. This includes the impact of changes in charges from levying bodies, in Rother’s case the Internal Drainage Boards. 8. Cabinet have recommended Rother District Council’s basic amount of tax for 2020/21 to be increased to £184.10 (£4.65 or 2.59%); within the Secretary of State’s guidelines and is therefore not excessive. Budget Consultation 9. At the time of writing the Council had received 448 responses to the budget consultation, 58% of whom were supportive of a rise of £5 or going to referendum for a higher amount. A summary of the results are detailed in Appendix C, the full responses will be made available in the Members’ Room. Conclusions 10. The recommendations of the Cabinet are set out in the formal Council Tax Resolution in Appendix A. If the formal Council Tax Resolution at Appendix A is approved, the total Band D Council Tax will be as follows: 2019/20 2020/21 Increase £ £ % Rother District Council 179.45 184.10 2.6% East Sussex County Council 1333.80 1362.42 East Sussex County Council – 100.98 129.60 social care precept Total East Sussex County Council 1,434.78 1,492.02 4.0% East Sussex Fire Authority 93.67 95.53 2.0% Sussex Police Authority 189.91 199.91 5.3% Sub-total 1,897.81 1,971.56 3.9% Town and Parish Council (average) 61.24 64.54 5.4% TOTAL 1,959.05 2,036.10 3.9% Malcolm Johnston Dr Anthony Leonard Executive Director Executive Director c200224 - Budget 2020/21 COUNCIL MEETING Appendix A 24 February 2020 Budget 2020/21 DRAFT RESOLUTION To consider and, if thought fit, to pass a resolution in the following terms: - 1. (a) That Council approves the Rother District Council General Fund Council Tax Requirement of £7,018,739 for 2020/21 and the resultant Band D tax of £184.10 as set out in this report. (b) The expenses incurred by the Council, set out in the minutes of the Cabinet of 10 February 2020 in the sum of £624,080 in respect of Bexhill and £62,680 in respect of Rye, be approved as the Special Expenses chargeable to residents of Bexhill and Rye respectively. All other expenses incurred by the Council (excluding Parish Precepts) be approved as general expenditure for the purposes of section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. (This resolution will be reviewed annually). 2. That it be noted, the following amounts for the year 2020/21 in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 1992, made under section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:- (a) 38,124.6 being the amount calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012, as its Council Tax base for the year. (b) Ashburnham & Penhurst 192.20 Etchingham 422.10 Rye Foreign 175.40 Salehurst & Battle 2,699.30 Ewhurst 540.10 Robertsbridge 1,041.30 Beckley 554.90 Fairlight 891.00 Sedlescombe 678.50 Bexhill 16,701.70 Guestling 636.20 Ticehurst 1,640.30 Hurst Bodiam 159.00 Green 589.20 Udimore 187.10 Brede 859.60 Icklesham 1,228.90 Westfield 1,124.10 Brightling 201.00 Iden 238.60 Whatlington 157.40 Burwash 1,260.40 Mountfield 199.40 Rye Foreign 175.40 Salehurst & Camber 679.90 Northiam 1,057.30 Robertsbridge 1,041.30 Catsfield 355.10 Peasmarsh 514.00 Sedlescombe 678.50 Crowhurst 368.00 Pett 471.80 Ticehurst 1,640.30 Dallington 174.30 Playden 163.50 Udimore 187.10 East Guldeford 32.80 Rye 1,930.20 Westfield 1,124.10 being the amounts calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate. c200224 - Budget 2020/21 3. That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2020/21 in accordance with sections 32 to 38 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 as amended: - Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the a. £45,927,233 Act. (this amount is the Council's gross expenditure including the Parish Council Precepts and the Special Expenses for Bexhill and Rye). Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council b. -£36,447,791 estimates for the items set out in section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act. Being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the c. £9,479,442 Council, in accordance with section 32(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year. being the amount at 3(c) divided by the amount at 2 above (Item d. £248.64 T), calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year. Being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in e. £2,460,703 section 35(1) of the Act Being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by the amount at 2(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 34(2) of f. £184.10 the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates. c200224 - Budget 2020/21 g. PARISH COUNCIL AREA BAND D £ Ashburnham & Penhurst 249.69 Battle 322.89 Beckley 225.55 Bexhill 222.29 Bodiam 248.88 Brede 228.11 Brightling 221.18 Burwash 250.72 Camber 286.52 Catsfield 247.27 Crowhurst 261.11 Dallington 232.49 East Guldeford 184.10 Etchingham 314.40 Ewhurst 310.79 Fairlight 254.81 Guestling 196.83 Hurst Green 262.77 Icklesham 276.44 Iden 251.16 Mountfield 249.80 Northiam 278.68 Peasmarsh 256.08 Pett 232.85 Playden 214.68 Rye 308.45 Rye Foreign 195.50 Salehurst 276.87 Sedlescombe 268.38 Ticehurst 273.35 Udimore 206.55 Westfield 221.80 Whatlington 229.21 being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3(f) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council's area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate. c200224 - Budget 2020/21 h. Valuation Bands LOCAL TAX AREA A B C D E F G H £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Ashburnham & Penhurst 166.46 194.20 221.94 249.69 305.18 360.66 416.15 499.38 Battle 215.26 251.14 287.01 322.89 394.64 466.39 538.15 645.78 Beckley 150.36 175.43 200.48 225.55 275.67 325.79 375.91 451.10 Bexhill 148.19 172.90 197.59 222.29 271.68 321.08 370.48 444.58 Bodiam 165.92 193.57 221.22 248.88 304.19 359.49 414.80 497.76 Brede 152.07 177.42 202.76 228.11 278.80 329.49 380.18 456.22 Brightling 147.45 172.03 196.60 221.18 270.33 319.48 368.63 442.36 Burwash 167.14 195.01 222.86 250.72 306.43 362.15 417.86 501.44 Camber 191.01 222.85 254.68 286.52 350.19 413.86 477.53 573.04 Catsfield 164.84 192.32 219.79 247.27 302.22 357.17 412.11 494.54 Crowhurst 174.07 203.09 232.09 261.11 319.13 377.16 435.18 522.22 Dallington 154.99 180.83 206.65 232.49 284.15 335.82 387.48 464.98 East Guldeford 122.73 143.19 163.64 184.10 225.01 265.92 306.83 368.20 Etchingham 209.60 244.53 279.46 314.40 384.27 454.13 524.00 628.80 Ewhurst 207.19 241.73 276.25 310.79 379.85 448.92 517.98 621.58 Fairlight 169.87 198.19 226.49 254.81 311.43 368.06