Recommendation(s) That Cabinet recommends to Council for approval:

a)    the council tax base of 72,816.74 Band D equivalents in 2025/26;

b)     an increase in core council tax for 2025/26 of 2.99%;

c)     an additional precept in respect of adult social care costs of 2% applied to council tax in 2025/26 resulting in a total council tax increase of 4.99%, increasing the band D charge from £1,875.76 to £1,969.36 for Herefordshire Council in 2025/26;

d)    the balanced 2025/26 revenue budget proposal totalling £231.5 million, subject to any amendments approved at the meeting, specifically the net spending limits for each directorate as at appendix C;

e)    delegates to the section 151 officer the power to make necessary changes to the budget arising from any variations in central government funding allocations via general reserves;

f)      the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2025/26 to 2028/29 at appendix A be approved;

g)    the Treasury Management Strategy at appendix D be approved;  

h)    the responses to scrutiny committee recommendations to follow in a supplementary paper to be approved; and

Additional recommendation (i) was also agreed at the meeting:

i)      the allocation of additional funding, above that assumed in this revenue budget and as confirmed in the Final Local Government Finance Settlement, firstly to make provision to support the development of the Local Plan and secondly, to be transferred to the Financial Resilience Reserve to mitigate the potential unfavourable outcome of the Fair Funding Review planned in 2025.