It is recommended that Council approve:

• The net Revenue Budget for 2016/17 at £147.320m, a decrease of £(1.594)m, or (1.1)%, when compared to the 2015/16 base budget of £148.914m;
• The calculation of the Council Tax Requirement as summarised in Section 9 of the report and set out in the Formal Council Tax Resolution (Green Sheets to be circulated at Council);
• That the Council Tax level for Trafford related services in 2016/17 be increased by 2% in respect of the social care “precept” (valuation bands are detailed at Annex D to the report);
• No further increase in the general level of council tax over and above the social care precept;
• The Fees and Charges for 2016/17, as set out in the booklet available on the Council’s website:-
• That approval be delegated jointly to each Corporate Director with the Chief Finance Officer to amend fees and charges during 2016/17 in the event of any change in the rate of VAT, as appropriate.
• That the minimum level of General Reserve for 2016/17 be set at £6.0m, the same as in 2015/16 (Section 6 of the report);
• The overall Capital Investment Programme level of £90.7m be approved (as detailed in the Capital Investment Programme 2016/19 report elsewhere on the agenda) of which £43.7m relates to 2016/17.
• The Prudential Borrowing Indicators as set out in Appendix 3, page 14, of the Treasury Management Strategy report elsewhere on the agenda.
• The distribution of Dedicated Schools Grant as recommended by the School Funding Forum and Executive as summarised in Section 7 of the report and detailed in Annex E.

and in approving the above, has taken into consideration :

• The objective assessment by the Director of Finance of the robustness of budget estimates and adequacy of the General Reserve (Section 5 of the report and Annex I).

• The Executive’s response to the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations to the budget proposals, which can be found elsewhere on the agenda for the Executive’s Budget Meeting.

• The detailed report on the outcomes of the Staff and Trade Union Consultation which can be found on the agenda for the Employment Committee on 18 January 2016.

• The Equality Impact Assessments in relation to the budget proposals and the Public Sector Equality duty.

• The comments of the Director of Finance in paras 5.4 to 5.7 of the report regarding Council Tax.

In addition, the Council notes the following :

• The approval on 19 January 2016 under delegated powers by the Director of Finance of the Council Tax Base for 2016/17 at 73,844 Band D equivalents. Along with the calculation of the estimated Council Tax surplus, sufficient to release £(300)k to support the Council’s 2016/17 revenue budget and a distribution of £(41.3)k and £(15.6)k representing the respective shares of the GM Police & Crime Commissioner and GM Fire and Rescue Authority. 
• That the Capital Investment Programme for 2017/18 and 2018/19 is to be set at an indicative £26.9m and £20.1m respectively.
• That the Council Tax figures included in the report for the GM Fire & Rescue and Police Authority are the recommended provisional amounts pending their formal approval.
• The Treasury Management Strategy 2016/19 detailed elsewhere on the agenda.
• The base budget assumptions as set out in the Medium Term Financial Outlook as detailed in Annex A to the report.
• That the final decisions with regard to some services will not be taken until March 2016. As a result, the allocation of resources set out on pages 65-70 of the report may vary including the use of reserves. The reports will be presented at the appropriate time.
• A report on the outcomes of the public consultation is included elsewhere on the agenda for the Executive’s Budget Meeting.