Minutes:
Presentation of the CJC Budget Report for 2023/24 which includes a strategic planning and core element as laid down in CJC Regulations.
Proposed budget of £175,000 which is a slight increase on the current year which is £160,000.
Key pertinent points –
The Mid Wales Corporate Joint Committee is a separate legal entity so acting in its own interests.
Outstanding issues are VAT, Corporation tax issues, HM Treasury, these are close to being concluded and some operational challenges also given that the CJC is a separate legal entity.
Noted the SDP discussions earlier and advised this is not the time to be growing the CJC Budget until an absolute direction of travel is confirmed.
Discussions took place around the quorate needed for the meeting and concerns raised around capacity at the BBNPA.
Summary
An overall budget of £175,000, split into a strategic planning element and a core general budget element as laid down in the regulations and due to the uncertainty in terms of requirements and directions etc. and confidence levels in terms of value for money when it comes to the SDP and RTP which was discussed earlier. Last year’s budget was £160,000 so just a slight increase.
It was noted that there is the ability within the regulations to revise the budget within a financial year so if required in 2023/24 where some of the future requirements do become clearer and we are content with the direction of travel, taking into account the significant budget challenges in each authority, we are able to increase the budget within the year if required.
Any CJC underspend at the end of the year would go into a Mid Wales CJC Reserve account and would need to be split into a strategic planning element and a general element.
Pension Fund
Nominations required for the administering of a pension for the CJC.
Ceredigion CC fall under the Dyfed Pension Fund which is administered by Carmarthenshire CC and it would not be appropriate for the pension fund to be the administering authority for the Mid Wales CJC as Carmarthenshire CC are not part of the CJC themselves and therefore by default the Powys Pension Fund would be the most obvious Pension Fund Administering Body.
Response to Welsh Government on that basis that should the CJC become an employer at some point in the future then the Powys Pension Fund would be the designated Pension.
Appendix A of the report sets out the detail of the £175,000, its split into just over £131,000 being the general budget and just under £44,000 being the strategic planning element.
Its funding two posts being the Strategic Programme Delivery Manager and the CJC Programme Support Officer and other support cost whether it be Democratic Services, Legal support or Finance support.
Councillor James Gibson-Watt queried recommendations 10.1 – should section two of the report not be resolved satisfactorily by the end of the financial year that further discussions with Government Officials to take place.
Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe queried the formula for the Strategic Plan budget for awareness going forward, the Section 151 Officer confirmed the BBNPA contribution did not include any support costs.
Supporting documents: