Resources Committee Agenda 10-01-2023

The agenda of Sandgate’s Parish Council Resources Committee meeting. We will hold the meeting on 10th December 2023 at 6:30pm. It will be held in Sandgate Library.

Resources Committee Agenda

Draft 2023/24 budget

The budget seeks a 1.94% increase in the precept to £98,700 based on the Sandgate Tax base figure of 2,203.12 for 2023/2024. 1.94% is a rise of Band D equivalent Precept from £43.95 to £44.80 – a rise of 85p a year, around 1.7p per week. With that precept income and the draft budget, there is a predicted surplus of £23.93 which is recommended to be added to the General Reserves.

Proposal. That the draft budget as circulated, and proposed precept figure of £98,700 (based on a 1.94% increase in Band D equivalent Council Tax), for 2023/24 is approved to be recommended for acceptance by the Parish Council when it meets on Tuesday 17th January.

Our Resources Committee meeting is open to press and public. Please could any member of the public who wants to attend notify us via clerk@sandgatepc.org.uk in advance. This allows us to ensure we have sufficient seats and allow reasonable spacing.

We publish our financial reporting on the “in-running” budget monthly. So at this meeting we will consider the reports since the last meeting in April, therefore April 2022.

Previous Sandgate Parish Council Resources Committee Agendas, Minutes and Financial Reports.

We use (the excellent) Scribe Accounts to manage our Council accounts and generate reports.

Sandgate Parish Council’s finances are governed by our Financial Regulations and Standing Orders, and every Town and Parish Council has similar rules. Because those rules govern our financial management, we can only amend or vary them by a Council resolution.

The Council’s Standing Orders require quarterly reporting of receipts, payments and balances. For instance, they say at 17.c:

The Responsible Financial Officer shall supply to each councillor as soon as practicable after 30 June, 30 September and 31 December in each year a statement to summarise:

i. the council’s receipts and payments for each quarter;

ii. the council’s aggregate receipts and payments for the year to date;

iii. the balances held at the end of the quarter being reported

and which includes a comparison with the budget for the financial year and highlights any actual or potential overspends.

We’re now publishing our reports monthly, exceeding that requirement. Consequently we will consider the reports at the next Parish Council Resources Committee meeting.