Increased council tax and parking charges as Medway agrees budget for year ahead
Increased council tax and raising the cost of parking are some of the changes agreed as Medway Council confirms its budget for 2024/2025.
The council says it has faced financial pressures and shortfalls like other councils, which has led it to make "tough choices" about its priorities.
It reported last November it was facing a black hole of £35.8m.
It has now been granted £14m of emergency government funding to approve its budget.
The decisions made at full council include:
Council tax to increase - This will increase by 4.994% for the coming year to pay for services such as social care, waste collections, housing, and highways. This means an increase of £1.61 per week for a Band D property, to a total of £1,754.69 per year (excluding amounts charged by parish councils, the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner and Kent Fire and Rescue Service).
Nearly three quarters to go towards social care - Nearly three quarters of Medway’s budget has been allocated to Medway’s children and adults services. However the council says this area still faces significant financial challenges due to the "soaring costs of providing these services alongside increased demand for them". New investment will go into the council’s Adult Social Care services to ensure sufficient staffing and greater use of assistive technology.
Maintaining council services - such as delivering weekly bin collections, accessing green spaces including at Deangate Ridge.
Closure of the Visitor Information Centre in Rochester
Introduction of car parking charges at country parks
Increased parking charges across Medway
Removal of certain concessions of swimming at the council's leisure centres - However young people to continue to swim for just £1 when accompanied by full paying adults at holiday periods during the year.
Repairs to the council's main offices - After Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was discovered at the council’s Gun Wharf headquarters, it has been decided that it would be the best value for money for repairs and improvements, rather than relocation. Councillors approved an additional £22m of funding for this through a combination of borrowing, capital receipts and revenue savings.
Commenting on the changes, Cllr Maple said: “We have always said we are prepared to take some painful and difficult decisions and tonight we have done just that, to start our journey towards financial sustainability.
"I would like to thank the residents of Medway for their support, for their recognition of the challenges we face and for their understanding that the decisions we have had to take are unavoidable if we are to make our journey a success.”
Cllr Vince Maple also thanked Medway Council staff for their hard work.
He added: “It is down to Medway’s incredible staff who, day in, day out, deliver vital public services for our communities across Medway. I have seen first-hand the sheer dedication and passion to enable our vital services to be delivered and often with reducing resources over the years.
"But saying thank you to our hard-working officers isn’t enough which is why I am pleased we are now investing in a pay system fit for purpose and will be recognising and rewarding loyalty, particularly to staff who have dedicated more than 10 and 15 years of service to delivering Medway’s services.
"As well as being the right thing to do in recognition of service and as part of our ambition to be recognised as an employer of choice, it is another tool in aiming to get the use of temporary staff, locums and agency staff reduced which is good for service users and good for the council’s finances.”
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