Agenda item

Proposed Capital and Revenue Budget 2025/2026

Minutes:

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.

 

Decision

number:

 

Decision:

 

 

The Cabinet noted the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Committees as summarised in Appendix 1 to the report. 

21/2025

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council that the net revenue budget summarised at table 1 of the report, should be set at £495.571million, funded from a 4.994% increase in Council Tax for 2025/26 with the equivalent Band D figure at £1,842.32.

 

Subject to advising that the Cabinet would not support extending the leisure membership discount to Medway Councillors ((g) below), the Cabinet noted that on 29 January 2025 the Employment Matters Committee agreed to recommend to Full Council:

 

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 a shared cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme with My Money Matters, formerly AVC Wise for an initial term of three years.

g)        to offer a 50% discount on annual single premier membership to our leisure centres annual admission membership and a 25% discount on family and joint memberships, with no monthly membership falling below £20, for Medway Council employees and Medway Council Councillors to Medway Leisure Centres.

h)        to align the Children and Adults social care pay scales, for the reasons set out in Appendix 4 to the report [presented to Employment Matters Committee on 29 January 2025].

i)          to align the Joint National Committee Youth and Community Workers terms and conditions except for automatic increments, as agreed at [Employment Matters] Committee on 4 December 2024.

22/2025

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council the fees and charges as set out at Appendix 6 to the report.

23/2025

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy, as set out at Appendix 7 to the report.

24/2025

The Cabinet requested that the Chief Operating Officer calculate the formal requirements under sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for resolution by the budget Full Council meeting on 27 February 2025.

25/2025

The Cabinet agreed to recommend to Full Council that if a precept demand had not been received from St Mary Hoo Parish Council by the 1 March 2025, an anticipated precept of £18,486 be incorporated in the calculation of the Council Tax for 2025/26, in line with the Billing Authorities (Anticipation of Precepts) Regulations 1992 as amended by the Billing Authorities (Anticipation of Precepts) (Amendment) Regulations 1995.

26/2025

The Cabinet agreed to recommend that Full Council approve the Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief Policy at Appendix 9 to the report.

27/2025

The Cabinet instructed officers to continue to liaise with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to secure support through the Exceptional Financial Support scheme.

Reasons:

 

The Constitution requires that the Cabinet’s budget proposals must be referred to Full Council for consideration and approval.

 

The Council is required by statute to set a balanced budget and set the Council Tax levels by 11 March each year.

 

Supporting documents: