Oakham Town Council Draft Budget If Accepted Would See a precept Increase of nearly 19%

Oakham Town Council Draft Budget If Accepted Would See a precept Increase of nearly 19%

The draft budget was rejected at the last meeting held in December due to errors in
the expenditure figures.

A meeting has been called for Tuesday at 7pm after the finance group made up of
Cllr Michael Haley and Peter Ind revised the draft.

unfortunately the draft still contains errors.

What I would also like to see is a budget prediction on the expected spending for the
remainder of the year. So it can be decided if the figure for guessed for next years
budget is correct.

The budget ignores the councils decision to reclaim £50,000 from the tax payers
over the next two years to cover the costs of repairing the foot paths in Cutts Close.

Some of the expenditure figures are still incorrect. This would not happen if
the Clerk used the software she has been trained to use. The council spent
thousands on new software which the clerk does not use to prepare reports etc,
because 'members may not understand them'

Since the former clerk departed the wages bill has been much lower. So I can not
see why for the second year we need to increase the wages budget.

We are to consider items in the meeting in the meeting the next day for example
the Christmas light budget proposal is it remains at £17,000 and the paper we will
consider the next day is asking for us to accept a budget spend of £25,000 ???

£25,000 for the neighbourhood plan, we are told the plan is going well, I disagree
and blame Cllr Haley and Alf Dewis when I raised the issue of claiming for grants
both said there was no urgency. They have both been proved wrong as last years
grant application was rejected because we cant apply retrospectively.
By now two years on most plans have reached draft form. Oakham's is no where
ready or even prepared the group are only now considering applying for a new grant
for a consultant to write a draft in the mean time once again the residents are expected
to cough up £25,000 extra funding for this pointless project which was started on the
basis of pure greed. I wonder if the extra money the Town Council may receive in
developers contributions will ever be more than the sum spent on drawing up the plan
which is likely to be out of date in a couple of years. The plan should have been started
many years ago.

At the last years budget meeting Cllr Lucas asked for £13,500 for tree works
we have only spent  £3000  so why are we asking for another £6000

The same applies to other headings including Street and Park Furniture.


The Clerk was asked at a meetings to review the internet phone and utility suppliers
she has never done this despite many requests and her giving her assurance that
this would be done. It has not been done and now we are being asked to increase
those budgets again?


Christmas lights donation £280 why is this shown as a 2018 / 19 income
when it was received by the council over a year ago (and forgotten)
The money came from an event organised by former Cllr Vince Howard.

I wont be voting to accept this draft budget on Tuesday it is farcical.
And I hope the Chairman will let us all discuss changes to bring down
the bill to the tax payers.

Once again we are not shown any details of how much the council is holding
in reserves.

One final question can anyone explain why a council that can prepare a budget
on nearly two sheets of paper cant get it right?

I am pleased we now have new members that no longer accept the rubbish
that in the past would have just be accepted without a glance.

Lets hope the rubber stamping of the old days has now finally gone.

Draft budget 2018/19
	2017/18	Actual at 01/2018	2018/19
EXPENDITURE
General Administration
Salaries	50000	26178	51000
Rent	12000	8798	12000
NNDR Offices and toilets	8500	7516	9000
Office Furniture and Equipment	3850	2273	2000
Utilities	2500	2795	3500
Insurance	6000	5284	6000
Postage and Stationery	2000	1163	2000
Telephone and internet	750	726	1500
Subscriptions	1050	38	1050
Expenses and Travel	800	930	1500
Training	2000	240	2000
Accountancy and Audit	3000	1188	3000
Legal Expenses	790	2610	3000
I.T. Recharges	1750	1829	1750
Other Professional Fees / HR Support	1500	1270	1500
	96490	62838	100800
Contracts and Grants
Grounds Maintenance Contract	27000	15377	27000
Floral Displays	14000	8182	14000
Toilet Maintenance	20000	12968	20000
Play Areas Inspections	540	270	540
	61540	36797	61540
Other
Christmas Decorations	17000	5020	17000
Promotion of Oakham Working Group	10500	4089	8000
Advertising	1600	2798	3500
Planting and Tree Surgery	13500	3000	6000
Additional Maintenance	7000	5132	7000
Street and Park Furniture	7000	566	2000
Play Equipment (maintenance)	4000	7778	8000
Late night shopping	1000	0	1000
Catmose Prize Giving	100	0	100
Cutts Close footpath resurfacing	25,000	0	0
	86700	28383	52600
Total Recurrent Expenditure	244730	128018	214940

Other Expenditure
Agreed Capital Projects	0	0	0
Public Works Loan Board Repayment	5510	5508	5510
Other Expenses	2000	1036	2000
Chairman's Allowance	1000	95	1000
Elections	2000	0	2000
Freedom of Entry / WW1	0	0	3500
Bank Charges	300	144	300
Neighbourhood Plan	14000	3244	25000
Community Lighting	11000	0	11000
	35810	10027	48595
Annual addition to EMR	0		18905
TOTAL EXPENDITURE	280540	138045	282440
INCOME
Bowls Club Rent	750	533	750
Tennis Club Rent	880	615	880
Princess Avenue building	7500	-444	9000
Rutland House Community Trust	1800	1750	1800
Cutts Close Lettings	2000	2425	2000
Christmas lights donation	0	285	285
Allotment Rents	350	343	350
Interest	200	0	400
Grants (LCTS) / Donations	0	-1980	0
Other Income (use of reserves.)	41600	223	0
TOTAL INCOME	55080	3750	15465
Expenditure less Income	225460	134295	267460