Issue - meetings

Members are asked to note that under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the Council is required to take a named vote when a decision is made on the budget calculation at a budget decision meeting of the Council.

Pay Policy 2023/2024

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance presented the Pay Policy report for Members’ consideration. It was explained that the Pay Policy needed to be approved by Council on a yearly basis and that the Statement needed to set out the relationship between the highest and lowest paid staff at the Council. Included within the report was the breakdown of remuneration of all Officers across the Council.

Council was informed that the Officer structure within the Council was as follows:

·       Officer Grades 1-11

·       2 Manager Grades

·       3 Head of Service Grades

·       Executive Director

·       Deputy Chief Executive

·       Chief Executive

It was highlighted in this Pay Policy Structure that the Council were part of the National Pay Bargaining Framework. Furthermore, Members were advised that Manager posts were evaluated by an external assessor (West Midlands Employers).

In respect of new appointments, it was noted that these would normally be made at the minimum of the relevant grade and that there was a system of annual progression to the next point on pay scales.  The Council did not apply bonuses or performance related pay to its Chief Officers and progression through the incremental scale of a relevant grade was subject to satisfactory performance assessed on an annual basis. It was noted that the pay related allowances were subject to either national or local negotiated rates.

Members were advised that posts that were remunerated at over £50,000 per annum were also required to be published in the Statement of Accounts and it was reported that the current lowest salary at the Council, as at 1^st April 2022, was £20,441 Full Time Equivalent (FTE).

The Appointments Committee was responsible for recommending to Council matters relating to the appointment of the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officerand other Chief Officers.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor G. N. Denaro and seconded by Councillor K. May.

RESOLVED that the Pay Policy 2023/2024 be approved.

Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan 2023/24 to 2025/26 (Including Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Programme)

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance presented the Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan 2023/24 to 2025/26 (Including Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Programme) proposed by the Cabinet for Council’s consideration.  In doing so, it was noted that the report set out the final 2023/24 to 2025/26 budgets for the Council as its Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). 

Members were reminded that this year the Council had followed a two Tranche approach to the Budget setting process. In the initial stages of the Budget setting process, the Council had an ongoing £1.6m gap to be closed.  The Tranche 1 proposals set out progress made and £1.6m of proposed savings had been identified.  However, pressures of £1.6m, mainly due to significant inflationary increases, had resulted in a  £1.6m gap remaining to address.  It was noted that these Tranche 1 savings and pressures had been agreed by Council at its meeting on 7^th December 2022.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93