Agenda item

The Council had before it a joint report by the Directors of Resources and Commissioning which satisfied the requirements of the approved Budget Protocol, in respect of reporting to Council the results of the Phase 2 Public Budget Consultation, which included details of the current estimated budget position for 2024/25, the budget options and Integrated Impact Assessments (IIA).

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           note the content of the report;

(b)           approve the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy position for the General Fund, as per paragraph 3.13, and latest budget gap for 2024/25; and

(c)           note that the Council would be presented with the final budget position and the request to approve a balanced General Fund Revenue and Capital Budget, and set Council Tax for 2024/25 at the Budget meeting on 6 March 2024.

Councillor Yuill moved, seconded by Councillor Allard:-        

          That the Council approve the recommendations.

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

          That the Council -

(1)       note the recommendations contained within the report;

(2)       agree to note section 3.15 of the report where officers confirmed “no adjustment or assumption has been incorporated into the financial model for the announcement by the First Minister that Council Tax will be frozen for 24/25. The Scottish Government has said that it will fully fund the freeze”;

(3)       agree that officers have confirmed that to fully fund the freeze for Aberdeen City Council as agreed by the First Minister in his conference speech to Councillor Allard and others at TECA the amount required by the Council to freeze Council Tax is £11.033m as per Appendix 2 of the report;

(4)       instruct the Chief Executive to issue a letter, jointly with the Council Leaders, to the First Minister confirming the amount required being £11.033m. It is Council’s expectation that the First Minister will keep his promise to citizens and Council on fully funding the Council Tax freeze;

(5)       agree that the Council Tax freeze announcement by the First Minister has undermined the entire budget consultation process, given that varying the Council Tax rate is a key element in the Council’s budget setting process;

(6)       note that feedback has been received that the Council’s online tool was not user-friendly and did not give due regard to engaging with citizens for whom digital accessibility is poor, meaning many disadvantaged individuals, who would be most affected by budget cuts, were excluded from participating in the consultation; and

(7)       agree that if this exercise is repeated in future years, that officers are instructed to engage with the third sector and other key stakeholders on the design of a consultation at an early stage and to include in-person community sessions to directly engage with members of the public.

During the course of debate, the Council agreed to suspend Standing Order 40.2 to enable the meeting to continue beyond six hours.

On a division, there voted:-

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

For the amendment  (17)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Boulton, Brooks, Farquhar, Graham, Grant, Kusznir, Lawrence, Macdonald, Malik, Massey, Mrs Stewart, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Absent from the division  (3)  -  Councillors Allard, Crockett and McLeod.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.