"BUDGET" SETTING

Question

My question is what does "the budget" actually contain.  My PC has a Finance committee which consists of the various Chairs and Vice chairs and a few odd Councillors. It is dominated by Senior Councillors.  During the budget setting meeting for our Full Council  the year round budget is discussed as our General Reserves .  EMR are however seemingly delegated to Finance and not included in the budget setting vote . Now our EMRs is where the big money is held and in some pots which align very closely to the various  chairs "personal agendas".   The numbers in all cases mean the status quo is maintained and as such scrutiny by Full Council never happens.  So in terms of the recognised  budget setting documentation /usual practice, are EMRs and considered an entirely separate entity .

To me they form part of the overall budget but are they? Hope I am making myself clear

Answer 1

You cannot vote, as a council, to endorse your budget and approve your precept demand to the local authority if you don’t know what elements are allocated to EMR.
Well, you ‘can’ if that is what is happening, but you shouldn’t since you won’t be able to affirm the question in your AGAR - do you have an effective system of financial management.
There really is no such thing as senior / junior councillors. All are equal and all have an equality of vote.
See how ‘senior’ your Cllrs are if they don’t manage a majority vote….

Answer 2

As ALL councillors are responsible for fiscal prudence of the council and as already pointed out confirmed in the AGAR then budgets and precept requirements must be voted on by main council and as such must be fully presented to each councillor for their scrutiny and questions prior to that vote.

Answer 3

Two things a) ALL reserves should form a part of a budget, and b) setting the budget is one of the few matters that cannot be delegated - the decision is required by law to be taken by full council.

I agree with RAC.  There is no such thing as senior or junior councillors.  You are all equal.

Answer 4

Our Clerk prepares ours and any questions such as why some items are in expenditure every year when they should be in EMR are considered a personal attack

Comments

I agree that all Councillors are equal but there are those that understand the system and will manipulate the budget towards their preferred agendas and those Councillors who don't have a clue what is going on. If EMRs are delegated to a committee loaded with the former then nothing changes. That is a fact of life in many PCs. I need a clear reference  that EMR are part of the formal budget setting process and not some bland reference to the AGAR statement  about “adequate financial management controls” which are subjective.
Basically we need to invest more in our Cllrs