Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A. Dennis, G. Ganney, S. McNamara, L. Musk, A. Rohale, S. Tunstall, P. Shah

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 2 February 2022 (previously circulated).

The Minutes of the meetings held on 27 January 2022 and 2 February 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and noted by the Mayor.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda.

Councillors S. Boulton, J. Bond, P. Hebden, T. Kingsbury, F. Thomson, S. Thusu and P. Zukowskyj declared non-pecuniary interests in items on the Agenda as appropriate as Members of Hertfordshire County Council.

Report of the Head of Resources on setting the Council Tax for 2022/23.

Report of the Chief Executive on setting the Council Tax for 2022/23.

The Council is required under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to set the Council Tax for its area no later than 11 March 2022.  The Council had always aimed to approve the budget and Council Tax by February in order to ensure prompt despatch of bills and hence quicker collection of sums due.  The Council approved the 2022/23 budget at its meeting on 2 February 2022 and the purpose of this report is to set the Council tax for 2022/23.

It was moved and seconded by Councillors D. Bell and T. Kingsbury.

RESOLVED:

(24 voting FOR and 11 AGAINST and 4 ABSTENTIONS)

Voting FOR: D. Bell, J. Bond, J. Boulton, S. Boulton, J. Cragg, S. Elam, B. Fitzsimon, P. Hebden, A. Hellyer, C. Juggins, S. Kasumu, T. Kingsbury, J. Lake, G. Michaelides, N. Pace, D. Richardson, B. Sarson, P. Smith, C. Stanbury, F. Thomson, S. Thusu, T. Travell, R. Trigg, F. Wachuku

Voting AGAINST: L. Brandon, M. Birleson, L. Chesterman, G. Hayes, M. Holloway, F. Marsh, R. Platt, H. Quenet, J.P. Skoczylas, K. Thorpe, J. Weston

Voting ABSTAIN: T. Jackson-Mynott, J. Quinton, J. Ranshaw, P. Zukowskyj

1)    That it be noted that the 2022/23 General Fund budget as approved by the Council meeting on 2 February is shown in Appendix A.

2)    That it be noted that at the following amounts for the year 2022/23 were agreed in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”).

a)    The gross 2022/23 Tax base for the Borough is 43,760.2 equivalent Band D properties before the application of a collection rate.

b)    43,497.6 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations), as its Council Tax Base for the year 2022/23; including deductions for council tax support and a collection rate of 99.4%.

c)     Part of the Council's Area 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;

3)    In accordance with the statutory legislation the Council is recommended to resolve:

4)    That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with sections 31 - 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

a)    £138,038,987 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act, taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils

b)    £126,397,635  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Recommendation from Audit Committee on 31 January 2022 on the appointment of external auditors 2023/24 to 2026/27.

Report of the Head of Resources on the appointment of external auditors for the period of 2023/24 to 2026/27.

Councils were required under the legislation to appoint their own external auditors.  The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 requires Local Authorities

to decide between two options:

• The Council could run its own procurement exercise.

·        The Council could utilise the Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA), under the appointing persons regime (Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015).

Following the Audit Committee held on 31 January 2022, the recommendation was that the Council opts into the appointing arrangements made by Public Sector Audit Appointments for the appointment of its external auditors for the years 2023/24 to 2026/27.

RESOLVED:

(39 in Favour)

 The Council opts into the appointing arrangements made by Public Sector Audit Appointments for the appointment of its external auditors for the years 2023/24 to 2026/27