Issue - meetings

Report recommending for Board approval, the Mayor’s budget proposals for the Medium-Term Financial Plan period covering 2025-26 to 2028-29, including the proposal to maintain the Mayoral General Precept at £36 per annum for a Band D property.

It was resolved to:

A    Note the proposed Mayoral budget for 2025-26, including the proposal to maintain the precept at £36 for a Band D property, and to provide comments to the Mayor regarding the proposed Mayoral Budget.

B    Approve the draft Mayoral Budget, including the proposed Mayoral precept noted above.

C    Delegate minor changes to the Mayor’s budget, due to finalisation of council tax base figures, to the Executive Director of Resources.

The Mayor presented the proposed budget for the financial year 2025/26, taking the opportunity to clarify that the £1.59 million within the budget for “Election Costs” is for the democratic process of undertaking the mayoral election, not for the Mayor's campaign. He also confirmed that the budget for conference attendance has not been utilised during his tenure and suggested that it may be removed in the future.

Councillor Chris Boden raised concerns about the mayoral precept for bus services, particularly in Fenland, where bus services have deteriorated. The Mayor acknowledged the challenges but highlighted CPCA efforts to save and improve bus routes, including new proposed routes and procurement processes. He emphasised that while there have been setbacks, there have also been substantive improvements.

While expressing her support for freezing the mayoral precept, Councillor Anna Bailey noted the failure to deliver all the promised bus services. She highlighted the frustration of residents who have been paying the increased precept without seeing the expected improvements. She called for better allocation of subsidies and more effective use of public funds. Officers confirmed that work is ongoing to develop a timetable for the number 9 bus route, with further investment planned; explaining the complexities of maintaining bus services and the need for public intervention.

Voicing support of the budget, Councillor Lucy Nethsingha acknowledged the challenges of setting council tax but emphasised the benefits of the contributions, such as the TIGER passes for under-25s. She highlighted the importance of these passes in providing access to employment and education for young people who cannot afford a car.

Councillor Bridget Smith queried the Tiger Pass engagement percentage (referenced in the Chief Executive Highlights Report in paragraph 4.1) , which officers confirmed to be the percentage of people who were engaged with and then went further in the process. Industry standard was stated to be about 0.5% so the engagement of 2.69% far exceeds this. 

Expressing her support of the budget, Councillor Sarah Conboy noted the importance of public money achieving high standards and the need for a direction of travel for rural areas. She emphasised the challenges of increasing services without clear funding solutions and the importance of working together to deliver for the community.

Councillor Anna Smith confirmed Cambridge City Council’s support of this budget, commenting that the subsidy for the bus fare cap is money well spent. She also highlighted the fact that the CPCA share of residents’ council tax bills is very small.

The Mayor concluded by emphasising the need for sustainable bus routes and exploring alternative solutions like Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), community car networks and working with other partners like the NHS. He acknowledged the challenges of reversing 40 years of bus deregulation and called for continued efforts to improve public transport services in the region.

The board resolved to support the budget, recognizing the challenges and the need for continued efforts to improve public transport services in the region.

On being proposed by the Mayor, seconded by Councillor Dennis Jones, it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10