The Annual Report of Hereford City
Council, for the year ended 31st March 2004 is
issued to
provide details of its activities during the year 2003-2004.
The Financial information has, from
1st April 2000, been produced using the Intuit system known as
QuickBooks. QuickBooks comprises a complete system including Payroll, Stock and
Time recording.
District Audit audited the Council’s accounts
annually until 2000-2001. With effect
from 1st
April 2002 the Audit Commission has introduced a new ‘lighter touch’ audit
regime for local councils. This has affected
the accounts from the year 2001-2002. The Audit Commission appointed the firm
Winross Hacker Young, from
Birmingham, to be the auditors for Hereford city Council. This basic audit will
be carried out under a fixed fee of £1,250 plus VAT, with additional rates
charged for ‘extra work’. The rights of local electors are not affected
and the public continue to have the right to inspect the accounts and question
the auditor.
A
notice to this effect is posted on the Town Hall notice board each year prior
to the time of Audit.
Report
by Madam Mayor - Ursula Attfield
Report
by Town Clerk – M D Fellows
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Hereford City Council |
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Councillors 2003-2004 Ward |
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Members of Hereford City Council give
their time freely and receive no allowances or payments for their services to
the City during the financial year.
HEREFORD CITY COUNCIL COST HEADS
Civic/Ceremonial
Hereford City Council owns the
ancient civic property of the City, comprising swords, maces, charters, chains
of office, silver etc., The collection is of considerable value and historic
importance.
The
Mayoralty of Hereford is one of the oldest in Britain and dates back to 1382, before
which sheriffs and bailiffs fulfilled the role. The first Charter dates back to
1189.
This cost head includes such
traditional function costs as
The Three Choirs Festival
2003 was the ‘host year’ for
Hereford City. The City Council gives receptions to artists and officials
throughout the week in addition to hosting a reception for the three choruses
at the end of the week. A reserve, set aside and built up over the preceding
years, has been used to meet the increased expenditure, which reduced the cost
impact during 2003.
Three Counties Show
Similar arrangements were made in
respect of the Three Counties Show although the Civic presence has not been
invited for the past three years; it is unsure whether the future format of the
show will include the ‘Civic Procession’ of all the Mayors and their officers
again.
Freedom Ceremonies
The
following were bestowed with ‘Freedoms’ during the year:
Dr & Mrs. Heijn
Councillor
J Newman
The total
cost (£7,992) was met from the budget plus a contribution of £3,992 from
reserves.
Members Twinning costs, Civic Apparel & Regalia/Insignia,
Official Visits/Receptions and Mayoral Installation.
Twinning -Expenses of Members
The Mayor is invited to represent
the City in our Twin Towns of Vierzon and Dillenberg
occasionally. This past year the Mayor visited Vierzon and the Mayor of Vierzon
has been invited to Hereford in May 2004.
A reserve is also kept for 'Twinning' costs in case major twinning
celebrations occur in future years.
Other funded events etc.,
During the year the Mayor welcomes
visitors from all over the world in addition to the many local visitors. A
budget is used to fund any Official visits and Public Ceremonies that may take
place during the year. In addition the Mayor and deputy Mayor have a budget from
which to fund the expenses of their very busy year.
A reserve
also exists for Special Hereford Projects; However during the past year
payments have been made towards the additional cost of the May 2003 elections
and an amount has been transferred to the ‘Election Reserve’ for future costs. The commitment from this reserve (of
up to £60,000) towards the ‘Greening Our Waste’ project proved to be far less
than expected (£6,000).
Municipal Elections
The May 2003 elections, for which a
reserve of £20,000 had been built up, have cost the Council £33,000(38% of
total cost); This was an unexpected cost (since the May 2000 elections had cost
the Council £17,000{50% of total cost}) and a £20,000 payment on account was
made. The balance was paid at the end of the year after full investigation and
a subsequent adjustment of the Council’s funds and future budget. The 2003
election was a postal ballet resulting in approximately 58% turnout as opposed
to the usual 33%-35%; This helped to increase the costs but did not account
entirely for the increase. Postal voting seems to be more expensive than the
traditional method but does increase the number of votes cast.
The Wards of Hereford City Parish are as
follows:
|
Ward |
Ward
letters |
Number
of Electors |
Sub-totals |
Grand
total |
|
Aylestone |
- HAA |
1,458 |
|
|
|
|
- HAB |
1,017 |
|
|
|
|
- HAC |
1,356 |
|
|
|
|
- HAD |
941 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,772 |
|
|
Belmont |
- HCB |
1,800 |
|
|
|
|
- HCC |
1,084 |
|
|
|
|
- HCD |
1,191 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,075 |
|
|
Central |
- HIA |
1,075 |
|
|
|
|
- HIB |
654 |
|
|
|
|
- HIC |
255 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,984 |
|
|
St
Martins & Hinton |
-HFFA |
1,004 |
|
|
|
|
-HFFB |
970 |
|
|
|
|
-HFFC |
1,642 |
|
|
|
|
-HFFD |
772 |
|
|
|
|
-HFFE |
1,208 |
|
|
|
|
-HFFF |
1,035 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6,631 |
|
|
St Nicholas |
-HGGA |
1,394 |
|
|
|
|
-HGGB |
1,310 |
|
|
|
|
-HGGC |
789 |
|
|
|
|
-HGGD |
1,404 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4,897 |
|
|
Three
Elms |
-HJJA |
1,715 |
|
|
|
|
-HJJB |
2,055 |
|
|
|
|
-HJJC |
1,039 |
|
|
|
|
-HJJD |
1,885 |
|
|
|
|
-HJJE |
1,147 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,841 |
|
|
Tupsley |
-HKKA |
1,745 |
|
|
|
|
-HKKB |
1,582 |
|
|
|
|
-HKKC |
2,369 |
|
|
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|
-HKKD |
1,416 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,112 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
37,312 |
Committee Structure
Council
Finance, Appointments & Urgent Business
Committee
Planning Committee Protocol & Procedures Committee Grants/Donations Committee
City Cost
Expenditure recharged against the
Parish by Herefordshire Unitary Authority, and included in the initial precept
provided by them, included the following for 2003-2004.
|
|
2002-2003 £ |
2003-2004 £ |
|
|
|
|
|
Grants/Donations |
20,000 |
Paid direct |
|
C.C.T.V. |
27,000 |
27,810 |
|
Christmas Lights |
22,000 |
22,680 |
|
|
|
. |
|
Parks & Open Spaces |
200,000 |
206,190 |
|
|
_______ |
_______ |
|
|
£269,000 |
£256,680 |
Herefordshire District Council recharge
…£27,810 towards the BT costs of CCTV, £22,680 towards Herefordshire’s basic
contribution towards the Christmas lights in the City, £206,190 towards the
enhanced maintenance of the City Parks & Open Spaces. The grants
element ceased from 2003 and Hereford City Council is now able to make amounts
available for its own grants & donations to local projects within Hereford
City.
The
Service Level Agreement is for a period of three years from 1st
April 2002. The payment varies in line with the Retail Price Index for the
month prior to the beginning of the relevant financial year. This agreement is
due to expire at 31st March 2005.The Parish expects to work in
partnership with the Unitary Authority to provide enhancements to the duties
and responsibilities carried out by the Unitary Authority within the City of
Hereford.
Grants/Donations
The Council
now has the power to make grants to various local organizations.
Applications
for grants/donations received by Hereford City Council were decided as follows:
|
|
Allotments
During the
year toilets were refurbished on three sites as part of an ongoing improvement program. The
cost to the City Council, £2,574, was approximately one third of the total; the
Hereford Allotments & Leisure Gardeners Society and the Herefordshire
Council made other contributions. The sites
Involved
were Rockfield Farm,
Holmer and Wordsworth.
The City
Council Allotment sites are as follows:
Ash Avenue 10
plots
College Road 28 plots
Drybridge 24
plots
Eign Mill 12
plots
Golden Post 2 plots
Holmer 53
plots
Rockfield Farm 57 plots
Westfaling
Street 12 plots
Wordsworth 75
plots
The title to the Allotments (approx. 17acres), having been confirmed as
transferred to the Parish, in 2000, is awaiting a new agreement to be
drawn up between Hereford City Council and The Allotments Association (HALGS) who manage the allotments.
.City Centre Management
An annual
contribution of £15,000 is paid towards the management salary costs of Hereford
City Centre Partnership
Ltd. This is a section 137 LG Act 1972 payment.
Hereford in Bloom
The Council
sponsors a number of sites as follows:
Ledbury
Road (between Tupsley Cross and the roundabout) £2,110
Ring Road
troughs £6,000
St Peter’s
Street – Post Office £1,963
St Peter’s
Square – War memorial £2,261
---------
£12,334
Planning
The Parish Council became a
consultative body in respect of plans submitted for Hereford City with effect
from 1st April 2000. The Council submits its observations to
Herefordshire District Council, which then determines the applications. This
has required approximately fortnightly committee meetings, which generate an
increased administration cost (officer time, stationery etc.,) but provide an
important voice for the citizens of Hereford. The estimated (but not shown) administrative
cost is in the region of £11,000.
Employee Costs
A Town Clerk was appointed in March 2000 to
manage the Civic/Legal affairs of the Parish; the salaries of the staff are now
in accordance with NJC and NALC rates and conditions of service. The
Clerk and the Treasurer are paid hourly; The Mayor’s Officer works to a basic
30hr week (point 25 of the NJC scale) which includes unsocial hours due to the
Mayoral programme; The Mayor’s Secretarial post, previously based on a 30hr
week but averaging, in practice, a 37hr week, has now been separated into two
posts (from March, 2003) – Mayor’s Secretary (15hr week including unsocial
hors) to deal with the Mayoral programme and attendance at events, and Town Clerk/Treasurer’s Secretary (20hr week)
to deal with Civic/Ceremonial/Administrative matters. This change will, hopefully, reduce the amount
of overtime ands allow each secretary to concentrate on their particular
duties. The new External Audit arrangements have entailed the employment of an
Internal Auditor from 2002-2003. This new post is part-time and has been filled
by a person with years of experience both as an internal audit chief and as a
chief accountant in local government; Time involved is not expected to take up
more than 5 hours in the year.
|
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Staffing Structure 2003-2004 |
|
|
|
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Town Clerk– M D
Fellows (P/T –approx 8hrs/week) |
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|
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Treasurer –D V
Piears (P/T –20/25 hrs/week) |
|
|
|
|
|
Mayor’s Secretary -Mrs. A Double (Based on 15 hrs/week) |
Mayor’s Officer - R W
Stokes (Based on 30hrs/week) |
Town Clerk/Treasurer’s
secretary – Mrs E Nixon (Based on 20 hrs/week) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liveried Officers |
|
|
|
|
|
(8 paid £15 per attendance |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Premises
The accommodation rents amount to £8,244 per
annum. Accommodation comprises Offices (Flats 1 & 2), the Mayoral
Parlours and the Vaults at the
Town Hall. The Premises costs are split as follows:
Parlours/Vault £5,252
Offices £2,290
Garage £ 702
Decoration/repairs £ 127
HEREFORD
CITY COUNCIL
The expenditure of the authority is met by
levying a precept on the Unitary Authority. The first year precept of the
Charter Trustees (1998/1999) and the first year precept of the new Parish (2000/2001)
were decided by the Unitary authority and amounted to £86,550 and £490,900
respectively. The additional figure amounted approximately to the special ‘City
Rate’ imposed on the City by Herefordshire. Analysis of the precept over the
Expenditure estimates is as follows: -
|
Charter Trustees |
|
Hereford City Council |
|
||
|
1999-2000 |
|
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 2003-2004 |
|
£ |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ £ |
|
90,900 |
|
|
90,900 |
|
|
|
|
|
Additional |
400,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
490,900 |
475,000 |
472,000 471,000 |
|
|
|
Analysed as |
|
|
|
|
18,130 |
|
Civic Ceremonial |
9,380 |
19,630 |
18,336 19,570 |
|
36,540 |
|
Employees |
54,550 |
63,000 |
79,500 88,360 |
|
9,070 |
|
Mayoral |
10,220 |
10,940 |
11,280 11,620 |
|
8,480 |
|
Premises |
10,240 |
10,450 |
10,490 9,450 |
|
13,730 |
|
Supplies/Services/Admin. |
13,310 |
13,290 |
13,871 17,609 |
|
4,950 |
|
Transport |
5,200 |
9,310 |
5,935 5,220 |
|
90,900 |
|
City Centre Partnership |
|
|
15,000 15,000 |
|
|
|
Allotments |
10,000 |
10,000 |
10,000 10,000 |
|
|
|
Grants/Donations |
|
9,000 |
1,000 15,000 |
|
|
|
HCC Web pages |
|
2,000 |
1,000 1,000 |
|
|
|
Hereford In Bloom |
|
12,000 |
8,000 14,000 |
|
|
|
Municipal Elections |
|
5,100 |
7,500 7,500 |
|
|
|
Special Hereford Projects |
|
29,280 |
21,088 200 |
|
|
|
Spent by Parish>>> |
110,900 |
194,000 |
203,000
214,529 |
|
|
|
City Costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CCTV |
27,000 |
27,000 |
27,000 27,811 |
|
|
|
Christmas Lights |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 22,660 |
|
|
|
City Centre Manager |
12,000 |
12,000 |
|
|
|
|
Highways Cleansing |
89,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Grants & Donations |
20,000 |
20,000 |
20,000 |
|
|
|
Parks & O/Spaces |
208,000 |
200,000 |
200,000 206,000 |
|
|
Recharged
to Parish by Herefordshire>>>>>> |
378,000 |
281,000 |
269,000
256,471 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The precepts are generally expressed as Equivalent Band-D property figures
i.e. how much each Band-D
Property within the Unitary
Authority, would contribute towards the cost of the precept in the year - if it were wholly funded by Band-D
properties. The precepts are actually funded by all property Council Tax collected
and are thus different for each banded property; The Band-d equivalent is just
a convenient measure for comparison purposes.
The
following table shows the breakdown of the precepts into Band-D Equivalents.
Band D Equivalents of
Estimates/Precept
|
2000
-2001 |
2001 -2002 |
2002-2003 |
2003-2004 |
|||||||
|
Hereford Town/City Council |
|
|||||||||
|
Base >>>>> |
£16,101.75 |
|
£15,884.76 |
|
£16,146.41 |
|
£16,181.311 |
|
||
|
Band-D
>>>>>> |
£30.49 |
|
£29.90 |
|
£29.23 |
|
£29.11 |
|
||
|
Precept >>>>>> |
£490,900 |
|
£475,000 |
|
£472,000 |
|
£471,000 |
|
||
|
|
|
Band-D |
|
Band-D |
|
Band-D |
|
Band-D |
||
|
|
£ |
£ p |
£ |
£ p |
£ |
£ p |
£ |
£ p |
||
|
Allotments |
10,000 |
0.62 |
10,000 |
0.63 |
10,000 |
0.63 |
10,000 |
0.62 |
||
|
Grants/Donations |
20,000 |
1.24 |
29,000 |
1.82 |
21,000 |
1.30 |
15,000 |
0.93 |
||
|
Other Specific Projects |
91,000 |
5.65 |
41,280 |
2.60 |
29,088 |
1.80 |
14,200 |
0.88 |
||
|
C.C.T.V |
27,000 |
1.68 |
27,000 |
1.70 |
27,000 |
1.68 |
27,811 |
1.72 |
||
|
Christmas Lights |
22,000 |
1.37 |
22,000 |
1.38 |
22,000 |
1.36 |
22,660 |
1.40 |
||
|
City Centre Manager |
12,000 |
0.75 |
12,000 |
0.75 |
15,000 |
0.93 |
15,000 |
0.93 |
||
|
Parks & Open Spaces |
208,000 |
12.92 |
200,000 |
12.59 |
200,000 |
12.38 |
206,000 |
12.73 |
||
|
Civic/Ceremonial |
9,380 |
0.58 |
19,630 |
1.23 |
18,336 |
1.13 |
19,570 |
1.21 |
||
|
Employees |
54,550 |
3.39 |
63,000 |
3.96 |
79,500 |
4.92 |
88,360 |
5.46 |
||
|
Mayoral/Members |
10,220 |
0.63 |
10,940 |
0.69 |
11,280 |
0.70 |
11,620 |
0.72 |
||
|
Premises |
10,240 |
0.64 |
10,450 |
0.66 |
10,490 |
0.65 |
9,450 |
0.58 |
||
|
Supplies/Services |
11,310 |
0.70 |
13,290 |
0.84 |
13,871 |
0.86 |
17,609 |
1.09 |
||
|
Transport |
5,200 |
0.32 |
9,310 |
0.60 |
5,935 |
0.37 |
5,220 |
0.32 |
||
|
Municipal Elections |
|
|
5,100 |
0.32 |
7,500 |
0.46 |
7,500 |
0.46 |
||
|
Hereford CC Web |
|
|
2,000 |
0.13 |
1,000 |
0.06 |
1,000 |
0.06 |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
N.B.
The above figures comprise net estimates of income and expenditure including
additions to/from reserves.
Whereas the Final Accounts that follow this
section show actual expenditure prior to adjusting the reserves in the Balance
Sheet.
FINAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR
2003-2004
Income and Expenditure Account
For the year ended 31st March 2004
|
Hereford City Council s |
Income |
|
|
Hereford City Council |
|
2002-2003 |
|
|
|
2003-2004 |
|
£ |
|
|
|
£ |
|
472,000 |
Precept |
|
|
471,000 |
|
7,917 |
Interest Receivable |
|
|
8,426 |
|
479,917 |
|
|
|
479,426 |
|
|
Expenditure
|
|
|
|
|
73,406 |
Employees- Payroll |
|
|
77,308 |
|
5,495 |
- Other |
|
|
3,977 |
|
1,276 |
City Council Web pages |
|
|
734 |
|
11,827 |
Mayoral |
|
|
10,843 |
|
0 |
Municipal Elections |
|
|
468 |
|
0 |
Planning |
|
|
0 |
|
8,835 |
Premises |
|
|
8,370 |
|
230 |
Subscriptions |
|
|
1,962 |
|
11,000 |
Supplies & Services |
|
|
8,987 |
|
2,214 |
Transport |
|
|
2,501 |
|
298,806 |
City Costs |
|
|
301,860 |
|
13,585 |
Civic Expenses |
|
|
14,249 |
|
1,222 |
Alarms |
|
|
1,430 |
|
1,432 |
Telephones |
|
|
1,541 |
|
20,150 |
Special Expenditure |
|
|
_______ |
|
448,938 |
|
|
|
448,938 |
Balance Sheet
As at 31st March 2004
|
Hereford City Council |
|
|
|
|
Hereford City Council |
|
2002-2003 |
|
|
|
|
2003-2004 |
|
£ |
|
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
Fixed Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mayoral Car Reserve/Depreciation
|
Accum.Deprecn. |
|
Purchase |
|
|
- £5,105 |
|
-£2,500 |
|
£0 |
-£7,605 |
|
0 |
Long Term Assets |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
Current Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
980 |
Debtors |
|
|
1,020 |
|
|
202,610 |
Cash |
|
|
216,572 |
|
|
1,750 |
Mayoral Stocks |
|
|
4,759 |
222,351 |
|
_______ |
|
|
|
|
_______ |
|
200,235 |
|
|
|
|
214,746 |
|
|
Less Current Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
Loans |
|
|
0 |
|
|
18,193 |
Creditors/Provisions |
|
|
41,830 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
41,830 |
|
|
Represented By |
|
|
|
|
|
182,042 |
Reserves |
|
|
|
172,916 |
|
____ |
|
|
|
|
____ |
|
200,235 |
|
|
|
|
214,746 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/7/04 The above accounts are
subject to External Audit
|
|
Hereford City Council |
|
|
Targets 2003-2004 |
Achieved?
|
Targets
2004-2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
1. City Costs |
|
|
|
a. C.C.T.V |
Confirmation of costs-CCTV |
SLA :Confirmation of costs- CCTV-2003/4 Negotiate new agreement for 1st April 2005 |
|
b. Christmas Lights |
Confirmation of
costs-Christmas Lights |
SLA :Confirmation of costs- Christmas Lights- 2003/4 Negotiate new agreement for 1st
April 2005 |
|
c. City Centre Management |
Provision-City Centre Mng’t. £7,500 |
.Pay over when new management structure up and working.. |
|
d. Parks & Open Spaces |
Confirmation of costs-Parks
& Open Sp –2001/2002 |
SLA: Confirmation of costs- Parks & Open Spaces 2003/4. Negotiate new agreement for
1st April 2005 |
|
e. Hereford in Bloom |
Now 4 Sponsored sites |
|
|
2. Allotments |
|
|
|
a. Association Agreement/Management |
Still in Progress |
T/Clerk to prepare/initiate new agreement effective from 1st April 2000 |
|
b. Drybridge/Asda |
Incorporated within plans for
site. |
T/Clerk to ensure access is protected. |
|
c. Site toilets |
Three sites have refurbished toilet facilities. |
Improve other site facilities re toilets |
|
3. Website –Hereford City Council – Mayoral report |
No change |
Mayoral Program Report |
|
- Freeman details |
No change – too many |
Freemen Details for major figures |
|
|
|
Council Resolution Report |
|
4.Employees - contracts |
- Commenced & in Progress |
T/Clerk to produce conditions
of service for all employees and to |
|
Separate Secretary’s post into |
|
review Establishment |
|
(i) Mayor |
-hours increased to 18 hrs/week from 2004-2005 |
. |
|
(ii) Clerk/Treasurer – 20 hours pw |
- hours confirmed |
T/Clerk to clarify conditions of service |
|
(iii) Appoint Internal Auditor –p/time |
-appointment of C Jones |
Re-appoint for 2005-2006 |
|
(iv) Pension Scheme |
Registered with Friends Provident. Council matching contributions up to 10% of basic salary/wage. |
|
|
5. Premises |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 |
- Policy presented to Council
and accepted |
Put up legal notices and make booklets/information available. |
|
8. Other Projects |
|
|
|
‘Greening Our Waste’ |
Initiated for one year only: Take up cost to Council £6,000 (provision) |
Pay when account received. |
Bound
copies of this report are available from:
Hereford City Council,
Parish Offices, Town Hall,
St
Owen Street, Hereford.
HR1
2PJ
A charge
of £5 will be made and should accompany the order; cheques should be made payable to ‘Hereford City Council’.
