Hextable (Sevenoaks District Council) result:
🌳 Lee Allen (Con) - 600
⚪ Jackie Griffiths (Ind) - 108
➡️ Daniel Kersten (Ref) - 406
🔶 Ashley Wassall (LDem) - 367
🟢 Oliver Young (Grn) - 62
Turnout: 47.15% (weirdly high - 27% in 2023 locals)
Con GAIN from Ind
@electionmaps.uk
Nice to see KentOnline finally pick it up 👀
Blimey, it's KentOnline actually calling something racist.
To confirm I was not the farter, and from where I was sitting it sounded like it came from the other side of the chamber.
(however I was one of the speakers referred to who made another important contribution emphasising the importance of this budget)
We'll have a full budget write up in Friday's edition of Local Authority, along with a bunch of other Medway news.
Subscribe for free here: www.localauthority.news
The KPIs are agreed unanimously.
We're now onto the final item of the night: the Pay Policy Statement for the coming year.
Everyone seems happy about it (except Reform, anyway), so it also passes unanimously.
With that, we're done.
We're now discussing a KPI refresh of the One Medway Council Plan.
Cllr Tejan (Con) and Cllr Finch (Ref) both raise concerns that KPIs are being changed and reduced, which Finch says is a sign of a "lack of ambition."
Cllr Maple (Lab) is now responding before the vote, which largely consists of thanking each of his councillors one by one.
The vote:
For - Labour
Against - Conservatives, IndGroup, Reform
The budget passes 30-23.
Boom.
Cllr Turpin (IndGrp) highlights that by reducing the cost of parking only for 30 min visits, it hardly encourages anyone to dwell in the high street.
"I wasn't going to speak," starts Cllr McDonald, roughly the tenth councillor to say that tonight. Perhaps they should trust their instincts.
I'm not covering every contribution here, as both Labour and Conservatives just keep saying the same things to each other.
That said, as Cllr Wildey (Con) begins speaking, someone appears to loudly fart in the chamber.
Very kind, thanks Dave.
Cllr Joy (Con) says some things.
Cllr Curry (Lab) talks about getting a Local Plan over the line, new nature reserves, an incoming local transport plan, School Streets, a climate change plan, and all sorts of other things that aren't directly connected to the budget.
Cllr Lawrence (Con) says the budget is "fiscally reckless" and "an insult to the taxpayers of Medway."
We now have a cavalcade of Labour councillors talking up the budget, including plans to build a kennel and to celebrate Rochester Castle's 900th birthday. Hurrah.
We are back, and now debating the main budget.
Cllr Lawrence (Con) kicks us off, criticising the council tax increase and spending. Says exceptional support now runs £62m.
Earlier on, the Conservative amendment sought to keep the increase and spending, aside from offering some free parking.
We are, unusually for Medway Council, having a ten minute break before the substantive budget is debated.
Cllr Finch (Ref) says his amendment is "not ideological."
Cllr Maple (Lab) asks how that is the case when, out of 2,400 Medway Council employees, Reform is proposing to sack only the climate change officers.
Vote on the amendment:
For - Reform
Against - Labour, Con, IndGrp
Amendment loses 51-2
Cllr Perfect (Con) says the '499 Scheme' sounds like a Tesco Clubcard offer and the whole thing shows "inexperience."
Cllr Curry (Lab) says he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.
It returns to Cllr Vye (Ref). "Nothing further to add," he says.
"Is the amendment supported?" asks the Mayor.
Cllr Finch (Ref) taps Cllr Vye (Ref) on the shoulder and tells him to support it.
"I support it," says Vye.
"Do you want to speak now or reserve your right?" asks the Mayor.
"Reserve your right," Finch tells Vye.
"Reserve my right," says Vye.
We now move to the Reform amendment they have embargoed until tomorrow, but here it is.
It drops the care home, sacks climate change officers, freezes staff pay and blocks recruitment.
It puts the money into a flat-rate staff pay award and £2.8m on potholes.
Also a savings competition for staff?
Cllr Pearce (IndGrp) says the interruptions from both parties "show contempt for my residents."
Cllr Maple says, "I've never seen such a pork barrel politics amendment."
Vote on the amendment:
For - IndGrp
Against - Labour, Conservatives, Reform
Amendment loses 49-4.
Cllr Peake (Lab) accuses Cllr Pearce (IndGrp) of using "very stupid language" and only focusing on "the Hoo."
Cllr Kemp (Con) says it's the most ludicrous amendment he's seen in decades on Medway Council.
Labour and Conservatives are really coming together to kick the IndGrp here.
The roads across the Hoo Peninsula are "failing," says Cllr Sands (IndGrp) supporting the amendment.
Cllr Perfect (Con) says he won't support the amendment, but he does like talking about potholes.
Cllr Murray (Lab) just trolling the IndGroup now, talking about the benefits of Hoo becoming a town.
Cllr Pearce (IndGrp) is introducing his "common sense amendment."
It would freeze salaries and remove town centre spending, diverting all of it into pothole repair and resurfacing on the Hoo Peninsula.
Say what you want about Cllr Pearce, he has a theme.
Vote on the Conservative amendment:
For - Conservatives
Against - Labour, IndGroup, Reform
Amendment is lost 36-17. No free parking for anyone.
"There's something to be said for deferred gratification," says Cllr Hamandishe (Lab). Before anyone gets too excited, it turns out he's talking about funding the new care home, though.
Cllr Hackwell (Con), proposing parking over care, says, "We can't afford a care home, full stop."
Cllr Lawrence (Con) argues in favour of the free parking, saying "we don't want money spent on PR."
Medway Council's budget is over £600m per year.
We have now spent 20 minutes discussing only £350,000 of free car parking. Priorities yo.
Cllr Brake (Con) goes rogue, suggesting one day free parking in each town once a week, which is rather different to what their amendment actually proposes.
Cllr Mahil (Lab) asks whether the opposition just don't know that there is an ageing population and care costs are rising.
Cllr Tejan (Con) says the amendment makes "sensible choices" and "reduces risk."
Cllr Murray (Lab) says this would drive up care costs. "This amendment chooses stagnation over innovation."
Cllr Brake (Con) says the care home should be put on hold until after local government reorganisation.
Earlier this month, the Conservatives promised "we will set out an alternative budget and a different vision later this month at Budget Council."
It turns out the alternative isn't that different. It just involves more free car parking.
