Issue - meetings

This report sets out Cabinet’s proposals for the Capital and Revenue budget for 2025 / 2026. Council is required to approve the Capital and Revenue Budget, rent increases and the Council Tax for 2025/26.

Background:

The Mayor advised that Members of the Council who had two or more months of council tax arrears would not be permitted to vote on the Council budget.

This report set out Cabinet’s proposals for the Capital and Revenue Budget for 2025/26. In accordance with the Constitution, Council was required to approve the Capital and Revenue Budget, rent increases and Council Tax for 2025/26. 

The Cabinet had considered initial budget proposals on 19 November 2024. On 18 December 2024 the Government published the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement. Details of the funding announcements and their impact on Medway Council’s budget were set out in a report considered by the Cabinet on 14 January 2025.

The majority of allocations for Medway for 2024/25 had been confirmed as per those in the Provisional Settlement, so the extent to which the announcements impacted Medway’s Budget was minimal. This had been set out in an Addendum Report to the Proposed Budget presented to Cabinet on 11 February 2025.

It was noted that the Cabinet had determined not to support the recommendation made by the Employment Matters Committee on 29 January 2025 that the offer of a leisure membership discount be made to Medway Councillors.

In accordance with the budget and policy framework rules within the Constitution, the Overview and Scrutiny Committees had then considered the Cabinet’s proposals prior to Cabinet’s consideration of the draft budget on 11 February 2025.

It was noted that an overarching Diversity Impact Assessment, as set out in Appendix 11 to the report, summarised the results of Diversity Impact Assessments. These had been completed for each of the services affected by the proposed budget changes.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Maple, supported by the Deputy Leader, Councillor Murray, proposed the recommendations set out in the report, subject to the following alteration:

Revised recommendation 1.2 as follows [change is shown as a bold underline]

“Approve the general fund gross, income and net revenue estimates as summarised in Table 1 of this report in the revised sum of £496.441million, including the following addition to be funded from reserves, (noting that an announcement on Government funding for this purpose is currently awaited):

£50,000 – VE and VJ celebrations.”

Revised recommendation 1.3 as follows:

“Approve the recommendations of the Employment Matters Committee on 29 January 2025 as set out in Section 7 of this report:

a)  a 5% increase for all staff on MedPay terms and conditions, which includes those on MedPay Performance, Progression Pay Scheme as well as those who are on the legacy scheme.

b)  not to increase sleep-in payments.

c)   not to return to National Joint Council pay scales currently, but keep negotiations open on this matter.

d)  an additional ‘wellbeing’ day to be awarded on a colleague’s birthday to be taken on the day or close to the birthday as agreed with line management.

e)  to offer a salary sacrifice Cycle to Work scheme with a scheme partner for an initial term of two years.

f)    to implement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 730

Background:

The report provided the Cabinet with proposals for the Capital and Revenue budget for 2025/26. In accordance with the Constitution, this was to be submitted to Full Council on 27 February 2025, the meeting convened to set the Council Tax.

The report contents had also previously been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and their comments were set out in Appendix 1 to the report which was circulated within the second supplementary agenda.

The Cabinet considered the recommendations from the Employment Matters Committee. It was noted that the offer of a leisure membership discount to Medway Councillors had been tabled by officers at the meeting on 29 January 2025, and it had been correct for the Committee to recommend that to Council for fuller consideration. However, the Leader made it clear that the Cabinet would not support this recommendation.

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable consideration of the matter at the earliest opportunity given that the final budget will be submitted to the next scheduled Full Council meeting on 27 February 2025.