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Strategic Finance

Strategic Finance. Presentation to Chief Executives 9 May 2012 Sue McGonigal Chief Executive (Thanet District Council) Julie Gibbs Assistant Director – Finance (Gravesham Borough Council). Key Aim .

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Strategic Finance

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  1. Strategic Finance Presentation to Chief Executives 9 May 2012 Sue McGonigal Chief Executive (Thanet District Council) Julie Gibbs Assistant Director – Finance (Gravesham Borough Council)

  2. Key Aim “Develop a medium term financial strategy that will make Kent more resilient to loss of RSG and promote more efficiency through joined up approaches to service planning, commissioning and delivery”

  3. Or in other words... How can we work together more effectively and improve overall financial planning

  4. Scoping Actions • Review Current Financial Practices • Total Place View of Financial Pressures/Savings • Innovative Solutions • Asset Review and Rationalisation • Income Generation • Shared Services • Alternative Delivery • Decommissioning Services

  5. Context

  6. Medium Term Financial Planning • Most Councils 3,4 or 5 year • Sevenoaks 10 year • Govt Settlement • Supposedly 3 year, but no news on 2013/14 • Next CSR early...next summer?

  7. MTFP Assumptions Formula Grant - 0% to real terms reductions Council Tax - no increase over MTFP...how realistic? Tax base - historic growth 0.7% to 1%...trend is slowing? Pay award -1%p.a. for 2013/14 & 2014/15 per Govt policy New Homes Bonus - growth in line with tax base but varied assumptions around its use

  8. Financial Resilience Substantial balances and reserves held across Kent • £136m in general balances (inc £52m schools) • £235m in earmarked reserves Approach to balances • 2% of Gross Revenue Expenditure • 2% to 10% Net Revenue Expenditure • Typically for districts £1.25m to £2m

  9. New Homes Bonus 2011/12 £6.9m Kent £7.9m K&M 2012/13 £14.2m Kent £16.5m K&M Variable use • base budget contribution • taken to balances • used to fund specific initiatives

  10. Putting on the Pressure All authorities face similar issues: • Increasing spending demands • Inflation • Demography • Central Government demands increasing • Reducing income • Govt grants • Reduced demand for fee raising services • Increasing arrears & bad debts

  11. More for less....a lot less • Formula Grant Reduction • £72m (Kent) £84m (K&M) for 2011/12 • £47m (Kent) £54m (K&M) for 2012/13 • Forecast Reductions • £30m for 2013/14 • £50m for 2014/15 • £50m for 2015/16

  12. Wholesale changes to funding....both how and what • Localising Support for Council Tax • Retention of National Domestic Rates • Universal Credit • Cuts in Administrative Grant for Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit • Greater flexibility to raise taxes locally • CIL, TIF, s106

  13. ‘Local’ choices Potential changes to Council Tax: • Discounts £1m disallowed on Second Homes • Exemptions £10m excluded on 6 month empty £1.3m excluded on 12 month empty £0.5m excluded on repossession • Single Person Discount £65M

  14. Finding solutions • Review • Generate • Share • Co-operate • Reduce • Stop

  15. The need to innovate How can authorities help each other? • Greater collaboration on areas of common interest e.g. preceptors contribute to improving Council Tax collection • Partnership sharing of risks e.g. Local Authority Mortgage Scheme • Remove duplication e.g. financial assessment of social care clients

  16. Asset Review and Rationalisation • Gains already made... • Gateways • Swale deep dive • Co-located Multi Agency Teams • ICT systems • Plenty of opportunities still out there... • Adult Ed centres used approx 17% of the time • Fire retained stations?

  17. Income Generation • Generate new income streams • Review charging for discretionary services • Maximisation of Government Grants • Sponsorship • Maximise recovery levels • Examination of level of write-offs • Fixed penalty notices, parking notices etc

  18. Savings • Short to Medium term • Staffing structures • Opportunistic cuts to discretionary spend • Few service cuts • Outsourcing • Service transformation • Longer term • Focus on reducing demand • Re-set & manage expectations

  19. Alternative Delivery Models Alternative models: • Joint Ventures • Trusts • Community groups • Collaborative agreements • Shared services Benefits: • Tax efficiencies • Access to grants • Private sector partners • Cultural differences • Equal footings • Community engagement

  20. Shared Services • What is being shared • Who are the partners • What is working • What isn’t working • What is saving money ...but at what cost?

  21. Strategic collaboration • Joint procurement • Pooling of resources • common infrastructure • Joint initiatives • Reducing cross-authority competition

  22. Decommissioning Services • Few examples and many reversed • CCTV • What others?

  23. Way Forward • Drill down into “specific” areas to feedback to Joint Kent Chiefs • What involvement the Kent Forum? • Produce a simple and regular “Kent Financial Statement”?

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