Members were reminded that the Collection Fund was a separate account that controlled the money collected through Council Tax and its distribution between the precepting authorities; Essex County Council, Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, Essex Fire Authority and this Council.

Any surplus on the Collection Fund had to be returned to the Council and the precepting authorities in the same proportion to their precepts in the current year. The Council must take this into account when it set its element of the Council Tax for 2015/16.

A surplus of £1 million had been calculated and the Council must take the amount of £120,582 into account when it set its element of the Council Tax for 2015/16.

Cllr Aspinell MOVED and Cllr Lloyd SECONDED the recommendations in the report and following a full discussion it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY to agree the calculation of the estimated Collection Fund surplus as at 31 March 2015 at £1 million.