Issue - meetings

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Roger Mace)

Report of the Corporate Director (Finance and Performance). 

Note:  The Appendix to the report is exempt, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, on the grounds that it contains information that could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A of that Act. 

Members are reminded that, whilst this information has been marked as exempt, it is for the Council itself to decide whether or not to consider this in private or in public.  In making the decision, Members should consider the relevant paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to information.  In considering their discretion Members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers. 

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Roger Mace)

(Councillors June Ashworth and John Gilbert declared personal interests in that part of the report that referred to the Citizens Advice Bureaus.) 

The Corporate Director (Finance and performance) submitted a report that brought forward proposals to restructure and reorganise Revenue Services to respond to the need to make savings, achieve better value for money and meet the operational needs of the Service as it sought to improve Council Tax collection rates and implement the corporate document management system. 

It was noted that the Appendix to the report was exempt, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, on the grounds that it contained information that could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A of that Act. 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows: 

Option 1 - to accept the proposals as identified in Appendix A to the report. 

Accepting the proposals will enable the Council to make significant savings in support of its medium term financial strategy contribute to the need to identify efficiency savings and demonstrate value for money in service provision.

Option 2 - to consider implementing only part of the proposals taking savings but not accepting any costs included in the proposals. 

By following Option 2 Cabinet could realise some additional savings but would run the risk of the operational failure of the new structure as proposed and would jeopardise the efforts to improve Council Tax collection rates. 

The preferred officer option was option 1 as it offered the best prospect of meeting the Council’s financial and corporate targets. 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.” 

Members then voted as follows. 

Resolved Unanimously:

(1)     That Cabinet accept the proposals in the report and as detailed in Appendix A (Exempt item) to the report. 

(2)     That Cabinet ask Personnel Committee to consider the detailed organisational and Human Resources implications of the report for implementation on the dates shown in the exempt item at Appendix A to the report. 

(3)     That any costs arising from the Human Resources implications of the report are met from the savings identified in the report with such costs being reported back to Cabinet as part of the 2008/9 budget process. 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Finance and Performance). 

Head of Legal and Human Resources. 

Head of Revenues Service. 

Reason for making the decision:

The restructure will enable service delivery to continue to a high standard, whilst providing improvements to the value for money given to the Council Tax payers of the district.