Agenda and minutes

The Deputy Lord Mayor welcomed all attendees to the meeting and outlined the emergency evacuation process.

Apologies for absence were heard from Councillors Ali, Bailes, English, Hartley, Jama, Morris, O’Rourke, Windows and the Lord Mayor Councillor Smith.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

None received.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

On the motion of the Deputy Lord Mayor, seconded by Councillor Goulandris, it was

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on the 15 February 2022 be confirmed as correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

To note any announcements from the Lord Mayor

The Deputy Lord Mayor called for a moment of reflection following the tragic situation unfolding in Ukraine. 

Under the Council’s constitution, there is no provision for public forum at the Budget Council meeting. However, in consultation with the Mayor and other party group leaders, the Lord Mayor has determined that public petitions and written statements will be accepted for this meeting on the following basis:

1. Petitions and statements for this meeting must be about the budget/reports included on the agenda.

2. The wording of all petitions and all written statements must be submitted by the deadline of 12 noon on Monday 28^th February.

Petition details / written statements should be sent to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

3. Questions are not permitted on this occasion.

4. Details of all petitions and statements submitted will be sent to the Lord Mayor, Mayor and all Councillors as soon as possible after the above deadline.

5. At the meeting, the Lord Mayor will permit a brief opportunity for petitions to be presented at the start of the meeting (up to 1 minute for each petition), to allow petitioners to formally present their petitions and to confirm the final number of signatures.

6.The Lord Mayor will ask Full Council to receive and formally note all petitions and written statements received.

There were no items of public forum received. 

Members of Council were reminded that the public forum submitted to the first budget meeting held on the 15^th February 2022 had been published on the website.

Please see Appendix T for the Mayor’s Proposed Budget.

A detailed note of the procedure for this meeting is attached as a supplement to these papers.

The Deputy Lord Mayor informed Full Council that following the close of the first budget meeting held on the 15 February the Mayor had exercised his right to take five days to consider the Amended Budget.  On the 22 Februrary, the Mayor had then indicated that he did not wish to accept the Amended Budget and subsequently proposed an ‘Alternative Budget’ for the consideration of Full Council.

The Lord Mayor drew Member’s attention to the published budget procedure to be followed during the meeting.

The Section 151 Officer confirmed that amendments 1, 3, 4, 8 and 9 had been carried at the meeting of the 15 February 2022 leading to an Amended Budget for the consideration of Full Council.

On behalf of Full Council, the Deputy Lord Mayor moved the Amended Budget and it was seconded by Councillor Goulandris. 

Councillors Massey, Stone, Gollop, Brown and Hopkins spoke in the debate, following which, the Mayor responded.

Full Council NOTED:

a)   The report from the Scrutiny Budget Task and Finish Group.

b)   The budget consultation process that was followed and feedback as outlined in Section 18 and Appendix 6.

c)    The categorisation of earmarked reserves and provisions set out in Section 15.

d)   That the consultation feedback and equality impact assessments have been taken into consideration and have informed the final budget proposals.

e)   The feedback provided by Bristol Schools Forum for Cabinet and Council, consideration in making final decisions on the Dedicated Schools Budget for 2022/23.

f)    The comments of the Chief Finance Officer (s151 Officer) on the robustness of the budget and adequacy of reserves as set out in Section 16.

The Amended Budget recommendations G, H, I, J and K were put to the vote and FELL (27 voting members voting for, 33 against with 1 abstention).

The Mayor moved his Alternative Budget and it was seconded by Councillor Cheney. 

Councillors Pearce, Mack, Weston, Clark, Hopkins, Renhard, Fodor, Geater and Kent spoke in the debate, following which, the Mayor responded.

The Alternative Budget recommendations G, H, I, J and K were put to the vote and were CARRIED (34 voting members voting in favour, 18 against with 8 abstentions).

It was RESOLVED that the Mayor’s Alternative Budget proposals in respect of 2022/23 be approved as set out in the report:

g)    The Bristol City Council levels of Council Tax increase of 2.99%; which includes 1% precept to support Adult Social Care, noting the precepts of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset and the Avon Fire Authority.

h)    The Council’s General Fund net revenue budget for the year 2022/23 as £431.1 million and expenditure allocations as set out in Appendix 1; subject to any budget amendments properly notified to and approved by the Council in line with the Constitution.

i)     The Council’s capital budget and programme for the years 2022/23 – 2031/32, totalling £1,906.1 million (including the incorporation of £32 million of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funding), as set out in paragraph 13 and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.