Agenda and minutes

Special Cabinet (Budget), Cabinet - Wednesday 27th January 2021 10:00am

Venue: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams

Contact: Mike Bradbury  Email: michael.bradbury@staffordshire.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

79.

Strategic Plan and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2021 - 2026 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

Photo of Cllr Alan White

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“As Staffordshire works to recover from the effects of the pandemic this council is directing all of its resources to help people and business get moving again. In the year ahead we will be listening to Staffordshire people to act on the issues that matter most to them, while continuing to invest time and money in those things in our communities that support people to help themselves and one another.

 

The county council continues to invest in physical and electronic infrastructure and promoting Staffordshire, so that our economy can prosper and generate more jobs and opportunities. This investment will also ensure growing communities have everything they need including school places, transport links and superfast broadband connections.

 

At the same time, we are determined to keep improving education and training in Staffordshire so that people can flourish at school or later in life, support families so that they can remain together safely and inspire residents to live healthy, independent lives.”

 

Alan White, Leader of the Council

 

“The global pandemic of 2020 affected the running of this authority in many ways, including reassigning staff to delivering food parcels and PPE, delaying planned savings programmes and reducing the amount of council tax and business rates collected. At the same time, we spent more than we have received in emergency support from central Government to help residents and businesses through the crisis.

 

Nonetheless, we are a stable, well-run authority and delivering value for money to our taxpayers is at the core of everything we do. Accordingly, we are able to carry on looking after residents now, while investing in Staffordshire’s communities, education and infrastructure for the future.

 

In saying that, our financial challenges remain. In 2021/22 this authority will spend £346 million, approximately two thirds of its budget, on social care and child protection. The growing demand in this sector is a national challenge rather than a local one and we need central Government to take the lead on finding sustainable long-term solutions.”

 

Mike Sutherland, Cabinet Member for Finance

 

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the period 2021-2026 and the draft budget for 2021/22.

 

Decision – (a) That, in respect of the Strategic Plan:

 

(i) The progress made regarding the update of the Strategic Plan 2018-2022 be noted and that it be referred to the County Council for approval on 11 February 2021; and

 

(ii) That the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive be authorised to finalise the details of the Strategic Plan 2021/22 prior to final publication to ensure that it reflects any changes to the management and accountability structures of the County Council as part of the organisation’s transformation.

 

(b) That, in respect of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2021-26 and the 2021/22 revenue budget:

 

(i) That the updates to the financial plans as set out in this report be noted;

 

(ii) That the comments of the County Treasurer on the adequacy of reserves and robustness of the budget be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 79.