Decision details

(1)       The consolidated revenue budget monitoring position as at 30 November 2017 was noted and the transfer into earmarked reserves of £4.8m as a result of the change in 2017/18 of the Minimum Revenue Provision policy was endorsed;

(2)       The draft West Midlands Combined Authority consolidated revenue budget summarised in section 4 of the report was approved for consultation and scrutiny. This included:

(a)       the budget requirement for transport delivery 2018/19 - 2020/21 comprising of three elements:

(i)         £114.1m a year to be funded from the existing transport levy mechanism;

(ii)        a transfer from earmarked reserves of £1.0m a year for 3 years; and

(iii)       the investment of £0.6m into the continuation of the Apprentice Concessionary Fare for the remainder of the 2018/19 Year and development funding to progress new stations work within the West Midlands Rail Franchise.

(b)       the West Midlands Combined Authority Operational budget requirement for 2018/19 of £11.8m to be funded by the continuation of the £25,000 Non-Constituent Authority contribution and a Constituent Authority contribution that comprised of three elements:

(i)         the continuation of the £0.25m membership on an equal shares basis that totalled £1.75m;

(ii)        a £0.17m fee on an equal shares basis totalling £1.19m with regard to the delivery of outcomes of the West Midlands Combined Authority Commissions that were consistent with the plans taken through the WMCA Board prior to the 2018/19 financial year; and

(iii)       a fee of £1.71m representing costs already incurred and funded by the Constituent Authorities in 2017/18 within the Transport Levy and funded on the basis of population in relation to corporate services that supported the West Midlands Combined Authority Operational budget that were to be accounted for under the Operational budget.

(3)       It was agreed that the WMCA Board was not minded to approve the Mayor’s budget, including a Council Tax Precept of £10.80 that comprised of:

(a)       £2.00 in relation to the costs of the Mayoral Office and Network Resilience responsibilities;

(b)       £8.80 in relation to the funding of the West Midlands Combined Authority Investment Programme to provide funding for cycling, park and ride facilities at key rail stations and Sprint bus priority schemes within the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Programme,

subject to the outcome of the scrutiny process and consultation and objection deadline of 8 February 2018, as set out in section 6.3 of the report.

(4)       The West Midlands Combined Authority Medium Term Financial Plan, as set out in paragraph 7.2 and table 8 of the report, was endorsed.

(5)       The Transport Capital Programme, as set out in section 8 and table 9 of the report, was approved for consultation and scrutiny.

(6)       The planned spend on the Investment Programme over the 3 year period, as set out in section 9 of the report was noted.