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Budget 2013-14

Medway's residents still have the cheapest council tax in Kent despite central government funding cuts leaving councillors with little option but to increase it for the next financial year.

Councillors last night (Thursday, 21 February) voted for a 1.99 per cent increase to ensure the council continues to provide more than 140 services for Medway’s 260,000 plus residents. This equates to £1,141.47 per year for an average Band D home* – a rise of 43p a week or £22.32 a year on last year’s charge.

The council tax residents pay goes towards all council services including children’s services, adult social care, parks and bin collections. Under next year’s budget free swimming will continue to be offered at council pools for under-11s and the over-60s.

Funding for Medway's successful apprentice scheme – geared towards kick starting young people’s career chances - will also be protected and the future of Medway's 19 Sure Start Centres is secured for another year.

There will also be additional funding to help victims of domestic violence, and the cost of council car parks will remain frozen. Millions of pounds will also be invested in a new regeneration fund aimed at boosting the local economy and creating skilled jobs.

This will see half of the council's unallocated reserves - around £5 million – earmarked for the South Medway Development Fund, which will be used as an investment vehicle to assist future development of Rochester Airport.

A further £350,000 will be invested in children's social care over the next two years for more social workers, a more effective triage system for families and children seeking help, and a review of the child safeguarding board. This is on top of a recurring £1million of extra annual funding previously added to this service.

Two hundred and forty five thousand pounds is also being invested in providing a sporting legacy for Medway, following the enormous success of the London Olympics, and an extra £480,000 a year will be added to the money already being spent on maintaining Medway's highways and pavements.

 In addition, £300,000 will be used from the capital budget for a community hub for Strood - a new improved library that will replace the current one – and a tourism bus will start in the summer. On top of funding for Medway’s impressive list of annual festivals – such as Dickens, Sweeps and Fuse – the budget will also allow for a new musical festival, Armed Forces Day and a larger Medway River Festival.

Medway has more free days of festivals than anywhere else in the south east. These provide entertaining events for residents, but also importantly help attract visitors who spend money with local businesses. Next year’s budget will also make available £155,000 for sport and health initiatives which will include new swimming and cycling Medway Miles in addition to the popular annual running event in Rochester. The money will also go towards mums and toddler clubs.

Ensuring Medway meets its legal obligation of providing a balanced budget has been testing this year due to government funding cuts, and savings have been identified from all departments. This includes £1.6 million from adult social care – identified in changes to the way housing support is delivered, reviews of high cost placements, re-tendering of contracts and a focus on extra care at home where possible.

Changes have also been made to the way the council delivers many of its services including closer working with other local authorities and public sector organisations.

Cllr Alan Jarrett, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: "While it has been extremely difficult to balance the budget this year we were keen to use money wisely to bring about real improvements for the people of Medway.

"In regards to children's social care we will be investing a further £700,000 over two years on providing more social workers and bringing about a new triage to make sure those seeking assistance - whether they are families or children - get the help they need as quickly as possible.

 "We will also now set up a South Medway Development Fund, for the future of Rochester Airport. This will help ensure this scheme takes off as it will boost the local economy and create jobs."

Councils are mainly funded through a combination of council tax, central Government funding and business rates. The council's total budget for 2013/2014 will be £348.5m.

Commenting on the overall budget for 2013/14, Cllr Jarrett added: "The council faced a funding shortfall of £6.7m this year due to government funding cuts so putting together a balanced budget was a real challenge.

“Like all councils this has left us with some hard choices with the priority being to ensure that those universal services that residents expect from us are protected. We have been able to find savings and, through our Better for Less programme, are continuing to transform the way the council works, identifying new and more efficient ways of doing things.

"But despite all the savings we have brought in Government cuts left us with little option but to increase council tax "It is important to recognise, though, that Medway’s residents still have the cheapest council tax in Kent – something that we have been consistently able to achieve year on year.

“Our budget for the 2013/14 financial year will allow us to maintain the more than 140 services - including all vital frontline ones – that our 260,000 plus residents receive 365 days a year."

All residents will receive notification in the mail over the next few weeks detailing their council tax and the new charge will begin in April. *The average Band D figure quoted doesn't include added fees set separately by parish councils, Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

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