Issue - meetings

(Report by Mr Paul Carter, Leader of the Council, Mr John Simmonds, Cabinet Member for Finance, Mr Peter Gilroy, Chief Executive and Ms Lynda McMullan, Director of Finance)

(1)               The “Autumn Budget Statement” sets out the early planning assumptions for the next three years revenue budget for the County Council.   Despite at this stage not having all the necessary information from Government to hand, it was nonetheless essential for the County Council to begin planning next year’s budget and Medium Term Plan if there was to be a meaningful debate with Policy Overview Committees during the course of November with final budget proposals being published in January 2010. 

(2)       Cabinet noted the key issues highlighted in the report and that Kent County Council would continue to develop and strengthen its policy-led budgeting in order to optimise the allocation of constrained resources to meet local priorities.  Cabinet also endorsed the proposed Medium Term Planning key milestone dates as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.