Councillor Hebb addressed Cabinet Members with 3 updates relating to policy and budget.

He started by advising Members that the Council was a record holding authority for the amount of council tax collected each year compared to other Essex Councils, with almost 99% collected. The Portfolio Holder for Finance continued to explain that the debt team was recently independently assessed by the IRRV and was found to be innovative and fair in its approach.

Members heard the Cabinet Member for finance had recently attended a night shift with debt collecting colleagues and had been impressed with their professionalism and approach to collections. It was following this that he was therefore announcing that a Fair Debt Summit would be held in early 2018, with officers of the Debt team, a representative from each political group, and other bodies such as the CAB, being invited to attend.

Councillor Hebb stated the summit would look to do everything the Council could to introduce an even more compassionate service; one to which residents could look to for help. He further mentioned that the summit would also be looking at the furthest reaching measures to make sure that the small segment of people who could afford to pay but refused also paid their dues.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance informed Members he had met with the S151 Officer, the Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council, earlier in the year to discuss the topic of self-sufficiency.  He mentioned Public bodies across the country had had to take charge of their own duties to help reduce the national deficit caused by excessive public spending.

He continued by remarking the Council Spending Review had led on a service review programme, fundamentally reviewing services over a three year period. The Council Spending Review, and most recently Cabinet and Council, had approved the Administration’s investment approach.

Following this, Councillor Hebb announced the investment approach was on target, not only to balance the budget for 2018/19, but also for 2019/20. .

Lastly the Portfolio Holder for Finance commented on the rainy day fund, stating that when the Conservatives assumed administration, council reserves had sat at £8million for a number of years, and he had made a pledge to increase such reserves.

Members heard that Councillor Hebb had hoped to increase council reserves by £2million, to £10million, in the next few years. He took pleasure in confirming that by March 2018 the council would be increasing its reserves by almost 38%. This meant council reserves would be increased from £8million to £11million.

Councillor S. Little welcomed the update from the Portfolio Holder for Finance, remarking it was brilliant to hear and noting that the Council’s reserves were on the up.

Councillor Coxshall commended Councillor Hebb on his update, as the budgets were not only balanced but the Council also had funds to spend on services which required it.

The Leader of the Council observed there could be lots of factors as to why people were unable to their Council Tax, however to simply not pay was unacceptable.