Issue - meetings

The Council resolved:-

to approve the revised Budget Protocol at Appendix A to the report.

With reference to Article 14 of the minute of its meeting of 17 April 2024, the Council had before it a report by the Executive Director of Corporate Services which proposed revisions to the Budget Protocol in response to the lessons learned within the first year of operation.

The report recommended:-

that the Council approve the revised Budget Protocol at appendix A.

Councillor McLellan moved, seconded by Councillor Yuill:-

          That the Council approve the recommendation.

Councillor Malik moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Watson:-

That the Council approve the recommendation subject to the following proposed changes (as shown below in bold) being made to the Budget Protocol:-

1.    TEN working days prior to the Council meeting, agenda papers (including the budget options) will be published. This is ahead of the statutory deadline for the publication of Council papers (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, agenda papers must be published on the Wednesday, fourteen calendar days prior to the meeting). 

2.    By noon on the 4^th working day prior to the date of the meeting (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, such submission must take place by noon on the preceding Thursday), Elected Members will submit their Draft proposed budgets to the Chief Officer - Finance, complying with the requirements for a General Fund Budget listed below. This is referenced in Standing Order 29.2, which may be subject to change following the August 2024 meeting. 

3.    Elected Members will work with the Chief Officer - Finance to make adjustments required to ensure the competency of their budgets; and with the Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to finalise equalities impact assessments. 

4.    Elected Members will provide their final competent budget and final sign-off for publication to the Chief Officer - Finance, complying with the requirements for a General Fund Budget listed below by no later than 12 noon on the last working day before the meeting (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, such sign-off will be given no later than 12 noon on Tuesday). 

5.    The Chief Officer - Governance will publish all competent budgets no later than noon on the last working day before the meeting (e.g. for a Wednesday meeting, such publication will take place no later than noon on Tuesday).

6.    Only budgets published following these stages will be considered at the Budget Meeting.

7.    Officers should ensure that press releases issued following budgets are accurate.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (23)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Boulton, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment  (20)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Brooks, Crockett, Cross, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Houghton, Kusznir, Lawrence, Macdonald, McLeod, Malik, Massey, Mrs Stewart, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Absent from the division  (1)  -  Councillor Bouse.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.