Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Acting Director of Corporate Governance which presented details of the General Fund revenue budget for 2015/16 along with indicative five year budgets.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)       approve the revenue budget for 2015/16 as at appendix 1 to the report, along with an indicative five year budget;

(b)       approve the continuation of a Risk Fund to mitigate against any in-year cost pressures;

(c)        agree to freeze the level of Council tax for 2015/16 at the same level as 2014/15;

(d)       approve the changes to fees and charges as indicated in appendix 7 to the report;

(e)       approve that a sum of £2.93million be earmarked from the 2014/15 underspend to support a service redesign programme within Children’s Services, with regular updates to be provided to committee;

(f)        agree that revisions to budgets for Arm’s Length External Organisations (ALEOs) to reflect future pay awards be reported to the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee; and

(g)       agree to continue to retain uncommitted revenue reserves in accordance with the reserves strategy, which presently showed a requirement for £11.3million to be held.

Councillor Laing moved, seconded by Councillor Boulton:-

That the Council approve the recommendations contained within the report.

Councillor Yuill moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Malone:-

That the Council -

(1)       approve the revenue budget for 2015/16 as appended below, along with an indicative five year budget; and

(2)       approve recommendations (c) to (g) as contained within the report.

Councillor McCaig moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Noble:-

That the Council -

(1)       approve the revenue budget for 2015/16 as amended in the appendix below, along with an indicative five year budget;

(2)       approve recommendations (c) to (g) as contained within the report;

(3)       instruct officers to bring a report to the next meeting of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee on proposals for best use of the £100,000 bus route fund to improve bus connectivity in the city, including an evening service to Airyhall;

(4)       instruct officers to bring a report to the next meeting of the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee on proposals to spend the remaining £696,000 bus lane enforcement reserve on key transport policies in the approved Local Transport Strategy; and

(5)       instruct officers to bring a report to the Education and Children’s Services Committee on the establishment of a teacher training incentivisation scheme, building on the proposals to pay for Council staff to retrain as primary teachers. 

There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Yuill and the amendment by Councillor McCaig.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Yuill  (5)  -  Councillors Delaney, Greig, Malone, Jennifer Stewart and Yuill.

For the amendment by Councillor McCaig  (14)  -  Councillors Blackman, Cameron, Corall, Cormie, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Jaffrey, Kiddie, MacGregor, McCaig, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart and Townson.

Declined to vote  (22)  -  Lord Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Forsyth, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Nathan Morrison, Taylor, Thomson and Young.

The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor McCaig.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (22)  -  Lord Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Forsyth, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Nathan Morrison, Taylor, Thomson and Young.

For the amendment by Councillor McCaig  (14)  -  Councillors Blackman, Cameron, Corall, Cormie, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Jaffrey, Kiddie, MacGregor, McCaig, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart and Townson. 

Declined to vote  (5)  -  Councillors Delaney, Greig, Malone, Jennifer Stewart and Yuill.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.