Agendas, reports and minutes

A Special Meeting of the Highland Council will be held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday, 5 March 2020 at 10.30am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully,

Stewart Fraser 
Head of Corporate Governance

BUSINESS

1. Calling of the Roll and Apologies for Absence
Gairm a’ Chlàir agus Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Revenue Budget 2020/21 to 2022/23     
Buidseat Teachd-a-steach agus Cìs Comhairle 2020/21

There is circulated Report No. HC/2/20 dated 25 February 2020 by the Executive Chief Officer – Finance and Resources. 

Members are asked to:

i)    Agree a 3% increase in Council Tax in order to close the Council’s budget gap for 2020/21;
ii)    Agree a further 1.84% increase in Council Tax to enable a £20,000,000 investment programme in the Council’s roads infrastructure as detailed in Appendix 6;
iii)    As a consequence of recommendations i) and ii) agree that Council Tax rates for 2020/21 will increase by 4.84% as reflected in Appendix 7;
iv)   Approve the funding of the budget pressures as summarised in sections 5 and 6 of this report and detailed in Appendix 2;
v)    Approve the planned £2m annual rebuilding of reserves as outlined in section 7.
vi)   Approve the establishment of the Change Fund as referenced in section 8;
vii)  Approve the rephased delivery profile of savings agreed in February 2019 as detailed in Appendix 3;
viii) Approve the package of new savings proposals covering the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 as summarised in section 16 and in the Change and Improvement Strategy ‘A Sustainable Highland’ at Appendix 1;
ix)   Agree that the impact of any changes in Government funding that may come as part of a final budget settlement is considered as part of the ongoing development of the Medium-Term Financial Plan over the coming months.