Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2014 (CC1) and to receive information arising from them.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 December 2014 were approved and signed.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Louise Chapman and Zoe Patrick.

Members noted the advice of the Monitoring Officer in relation to the Declarations of Interest.

The Chairman reported as follows:

Flowers had been sent to Councillor Zoe Patrick on behalf of the Council and the Chairman would write to Councillor Patrick to convey Council’s best wishes.

Council Congratulated David Etheridge, Chief Fire Officer Oxfordshire County Council who was awarded an OBE for services to the community in Oxfordshire and Katherine Powley, County Network Coordinator and Streetworks manager Oxfordshire County Council who had been awarded an MBE for services to the community in Oxfordshire.

The Council received a Petition from Mr Rodda calling on Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to recognise the benefits to their communities of a Third Bridge, and to work with Reading and Wokingham Councils and the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership on drawing up agreed plans and a timetable which would then be the basis of bids for any available Government funds.”

Report by the Head of Human Resources (CC7)

The Remuneration Committee is required to report annually to Council on the Pay Policy Statement. The report updates the pay policy statement and indicates the future proposals of the Remuneration Committee

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)            receive the report of the Remuneration Committee;

(b)            approve the revised Pay Policy Statement at Annex 2 to this report.

The Council had before them the report of the Remuneration Committee (CC7) which updated the Council’s Pay Policy Statement and set out future proposals of the Remuneration Committee in relation to this area.

RESOLVED: (on a Motion by Councillor Hudspeth, seconded by Councillor Fawcett and carried nem con) to:

(a)        receive the report of the Remuneration Committee;

(b)          approve the revised Pay Policy Statement at Annex 2 to this report.

Report by the Chief Finance Officer (CC8) including the Leader of the Council’s overview (Section 1), Corporate Plan (Section 2), Budget Strategy and Capital Programme (Section 3) and the Directorate Business Strategies and Performance Indicators (Section 4).The recommendations set out below (and in the report) are made subject to the Chief Finance Officer’s statutory report on the robustness of the budget estimates and adequacy of financial reserves (Section 5).

The Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green Groups propose to submit amendments to the budget proposals (CC8 Labour), (CC8 Liberal Democrat), and (CC8 Green) respectively and these will be circulated separately.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          approve the Corporate Plan 2015/16 – 2017/18 (update for 2015/16) as set out in section 2.0;

(b)         approve the Financial Strategy 2014/15 – 2017/18 (update for 2015/16) as set out in section 3.1;

(c)          have regard to the Chief Finance Officer’s report (at Section 5) in approving recommendations d to h below;

(d)         (in respect of revenue) approve:

(1)          the council tax and precept calculations for 2015/16 set out in section 3.2 and in particular:

(i)           a precept of £288,252,933;

(ii)          a council tax for band D equivalent properties of £1,232.46;

(2)          a budget for 2015/16 as set out in section 3.3 including the:

(i)           virement of £2.751m from corporate contingency to Children’s Social Care (CEF2-3);

(ii)          new reserve for Business Rates;

(3)          a medium term plan for 2015/16 to 2017/18 as set out in section 3.4 (which incorporates changes to the existing medium term financial plan as set out in section 3.5);

(4)          the use of Dedicated Schools Grant (provisional allocation) for 2015/16 as set out in section 3.6;

(5)          virement arrangements to operate within the approved budget for 2015/16 as set out in section 3.7;

(e)          (in respect of balances and reserves) approve:

(1)          the Chief Finance Officer’s recommended level of balances for 2015/16 as set out in section 3.8.1

(2)          the planned level of reserves for 2015/16 to 2017/18 as set out in section 3.8.2;

(f)           (in respect of capital) approve:

(1)          a Capital Programme for 2014/15 to 2018/19 as set out in section 3.9 including the Highways Structural Maintenance Programme 2015/16 and 2016/17 in section 3.9.1;

(g)         (in respect of treasury management) approve:

(1)          the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2015/16 as set out in section 3.10;

(2)          the continued delegation of authority to withdraw or advance additional funds to/from external fund managers to the Treasury Management Strategy Team;

(3)          that any further changes required to the 2015/16 strategy be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Finance;

(4)          the Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix A of section 3.10

(5)          the Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement as set out in Appendix B of section 3.10;

(6)          the Specified Investment and Non Specified Investment Instruments as set out in Appendix C and D of  ...  view the full agenda text for item 96/14

The council had before it the report by the Chief Finance Officer (CC8) including the Leader of the Council’s overview (Section 1), Corporate Plan (Section 2), Budget Strategy and Capital Programme (Section 3) and the Directorate Business Strategies and Performance Indicators (Section 4). The recommendations set out in the report were made subject to the Chief Finance Officer’s statutory report on the robustness of the budget estimates and adequacy of financial reserves (Section 5).

The Council also had before it budget proposals in the form of: Amendments by the Labour Group to the Cabinet’s Revenue Budget and Amendments by the Green Group to the Cabinet’s Revenue Budget (CC8 Labour) and (CC8 Green), and a statement by the Liberal Democrat Group (CC8 Liberal Democrat) (additional Papers 1).

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Statford seconded the Cabinet’s recommendations on Service & Resource Planning 2015/16 – 2017/18 (CC8). In moving the motion, Councillor Hudspeth paid tribute to Lorna Baxter and her staff for all their wok in preparing the budget.

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Hards seconded an amendment to the Cabinet’s budget as set out in the Additional Papers 1 (CC8 Labour). Councillor Brighouse thanked Lorna Baxter and her team and the Directors and Deputy Directors for their help and support.

Following debate, the amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 44 votes to 17.

Councillor Williams moved and Councillor Coates seconded an amendment to the Cabinet’s budget as set out in the Additional Papers 1 (CC8 Green). Councillor Williams paid tribute to Lorna Baxter and her team for their help and support.

The amendment was then put to the vote and was lost by 59 votes to 2.

Following a lengthy debate, the substantive motion was put to the vote and was carried by 33 votes to 28.

Report by the County Solicitor & Monitoring Officer (CC9).

The County Council faces very serious funding challenges, with all political parties signalling that they expect to have to make significant spending cuts after the general election. Over recent years local government has delivered enormous savings but it is anticipated that it will be expected to bear much of the brunt of these further cuts, as health and education and others are protected.

The view of the Leader of the Council is that a new operating model is needed to address these issues, in order to enable the Council to continue to deliver the outcomes residents deserve and ensure value for money for tax payers.

The Leader therefore proposes that the traditional model of a Chief Executive and separate Directorates needs to be modernised to reduce costs and embrace a more distributed model of managerial leadership with closer working between officers and councillors, and building on our existing partnerships. 

It is considered that removing the paid post of Chief Executive and redistributing its responsibilities, including the statutory role of Head of Paid Service would achieve both savings and a more streamlined, distributed management structure more fitted to the challenges facing the Council in the future.

This report therefore seeks Full Council’s approval for the removal of the post of Chief Executive and the consequent dismissal by redundancy of the current post holder, and Head of Paid Service, Joanna Simons.

Council is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          note that no objections from Cabinet Members have been received, and so agree the removal of the post of Chief Executive from the Council’s organisational structure;

(b)          agree the dismissal by redundancy of the current Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Joanna Simons, on the terms outlined in this report; and, in consequence,

(c)          ask the Remuneration Committee to submit recommendations to Council as to the appointment of a Head of Paid Service;

(d)          agree to receive a further report, following decisions by Cabinet under paragraph 16 above, detailing other consequential appointments, delegations and organisational matters, for Council consideration;

(e)          authorise the County Solicitor to make any consequential amendments to the Constitution as a result of these decisions;

(f)           thank Joanna Simons for her dedicated service to the Council as Chief Executive over the last ten years.

The County Council faced very serious funding challenges, with all political parties signalling that they expect to have to make significant spending cuts after the general election. Over recent years local government had delivered enormous savings but it was anticipated that it would be expected to bear much of the brunt of these further cuts, as health and education and others were protected.

The view of the Leader of the Council was that a new operating model was needed to address these issues, in order to enable the Council to continue to deliver the outcomes residents deserved and ensure value for money for tax payers.

The Leader therefore proposed that the traditional model of a Chief Executive and separate Directorates needed to be modernised to reduce costs and embrace a more distributed model of managerial leadership with closer working between officers and councillors, and building on our existing partnerships. 

It was considered that removing the paid post of Chief Executive and redistributing its responsibilities, including the statutory role of Head of Paid Service would achieve both savings and a more streamlined, distributed management structure more fitted to the challenges facing the Council in the future.

This Council considered a report (CC9) which sought Full Council’s approval for the removal of the post of Chief Executive and the consequent dismissal by redundancy of the current post holder, and Head of Paid Service.

Councillor Hudspeth moved and Councillor Rose seconded the recommendations as set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda.

Councillor Brighouse moved and Councillor Fawcett seconded the following amendment:

(a)          note that no objections from Cabinet Members have been received, and so agree the removal of the post of Chief Executive from the Council’s organisational structure;

(b)          agree the dismissal by redundancy of the current Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Joanna Simons, on the terms outlined in this report; and, in consequence,

(c)          ask the Remuneration Committee to submit recommendations to Council as to the appointment of a Head of Paid Service;

(d)          agree to receive a further report, following decisions by Cabinet under paragraph 16 above, detailing other consequential appointments, delegations and organisational matters, for Council consideration;

(e)          authorise the County Solicitor to make any consequential amendments to the Constitution as a result of these decisions;

(f)           thank Joanna Simons for her dedicated service to the Council as Chief Executive over the last ten years.

(a)          defer the decision to remove the post of Chief Executive from the Council’s organisational structure;

(b)         ask the Audit & Governance Committee to examine the issues raised by the Leader in this report, including those related to Governance, Finance and Management and risk assess any change from the traditional model which has served Oxfordshire well since 1974. The resulting report to be considered by the Cabinet;

(c)          agree to receive a report from the Cabinet on all of the consequential matters before taking this important, far-reaching and potentially expensive decision.

Following debate, the amendment was put to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97/14