Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) and the Draft Revised Revenue Budget for 2025/26 and Draft Budget for 2026/27.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) detailing income and expenditure for budgets which were the responsibility of the committee.

Members also received a verbal summary of the main points from the RFO outlining the changes to allocation of staffing costs away from this Committee’s spending to other areas of the Council. The 2026/27 budget would continually evolve as the RFO worked on refinements ahead of its formal presentation.

Following a Members’ question regarding budget line 408/4154 – Experience Oxfordshire – the Town Clerk confirmed that these funds were to be used for the promotion of events to encourage visitors to the Town. It was hoped that with the re-establishment of the Town Forum and the new Witney Past, Present & Future Working Party, that these funds may be able to be repurposed more effectively.

Recommended:

1.      That, the report be noted and,

2.      That, the repurposing of Experience Oxford budget line be explored at the meeting of the Policy, Governance & Finance meeting on 24 November 2025 and,

3.      That, the revised base revenue budget for 2025/26 and the estimated base revenue budgets for 2026/27, as detailed in the draft estimates be noted.