The Lord Mayor informed the meeting that she had no announcements to make or urgent business for consideration.

To allow members an opportunity to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they might have in any items which appear on this agenda; and record any items from which they are precluded from voting as a result of Council Tax or Council rent arrears. Members with a personal interest should declare that at the start of the item under consideration. If members also have a prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest they must withdraw from the meeting during the consideration of the item.

No interests were declared regarding any of the business contained within the Council Summons.

To submit for approval the minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2023.

Decision

The Minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

The Council met to consider and set the 2023/24 budget, Council Tax resolution for 2023/24 and Collection Fund budget for 2023/24.  In doing so, the proceedings of the Art Galleries Committee on 15 February 2023, which provided details of the Art Galleries budget for 2023/24 were submitted for approval. In addition, the part proceedings of the Executive on 15 February 2022 were submitted for approval, which contained details on the following:

•      Revenue Budget Monitoring Update to the end of December 2022

•      Capital Programme Budget Monitoring 2022/23

•      Medium Term Financial Strategy and 2023/24 Revenue Budget

•      Corporate Core Budget 2023/24

•      Children and Education Services Budget 2023/24

•      Public Health Budget 2023-26

•      Adult Social Care Budget 2023/24

•      Neighbourhoods Directorate Budget 2023/24

•      Zero Carbon 2023/24 Budget Report

•      Homelessness Directorate 2023/24 Budget

•      Growth and Development Directorate Budget 2023/24

•      Housing Revenue Account 2023/24 to 2025/26

•      Schools Budget 2023/24

•      Capital Strategy and Budget 2023/24 to 2025/26

•      Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2023/24, including Borrowing

Limits and Annual Investment Strategy

•      Budget Equality and Poverty Impact Assessments

•      Budget consultation results 2023/24

The Council also considered the following reports:-

•      Details of proposed budget amendment

•      The Council Tax Resolution 2023/24.

In addition, the Council received the minutes of the Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee on 27 February 2023, that considered the Budget Report 2023-2024.

The Lord Mayor provided Council with an explanation of the process to be followed at the meeting to consider and vote on the amendment received and to then consider the documents submitted and in doing so set the Council’s budget for 2023/24 by a named electronic vote.

Councillor Rahman moved the proceedings of the Art Galleries Committee and Councillor Craig moved the part proceedings of the Executive, both held on 15 February 2023.

Councillor Akbar then moved the Revenue and Capital Budgets and the recommendations as detailed in the reports submitted, this was seconded by Councillor Craig. Councillor Akbar then presented his budget statement for 2023/24 to Council.

The Lord Mayor reported that Councillor Johnson (Opposition Lead Member on Finance) had submitted her apologies for the meeting. A response to Councillor Akbar’s budget statement was made by Councillor Bayunu.

The Council then considered an amendment to the Council Budget 2023/24.

The following amendment to the budget was proposed by Councillor Leech. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Good.

Budget amendment:

To allocate a budget of £900,000 to enable the Council to deliver a Council

Tax rebate to Manchester residents in receipt of the maximum Council Tax

support equivalent to increasing the maximum support from 82.5% to 85%; to

be funded through the transfer from the General Fund Reserve.

To allocate a budget of £1,000,000 to invest additional resources into

highways maintenance, to tackle the backlog of road and pavement repairs

and gully repairs, to save money on future accident trip claims and to reduce

the ongoing day to day maintenance costs on gully clearing and repairs; to be

funded from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.