Councillors are elected by the voters of Medway to make decisions about how money is spent and what services are provided by the council.
Local elections were held on 4 May 2023, the council is made up of 59 councillors who represent 24 wards throughout Medway.
The current political make-up of the council is:
- Labour and Co-operative Group: 31
- Conservative Group: 20
- Independent Group: 5
- Independent members: 3.
Decision-making
Decisions are made at meetings of the Cabinet, Full Council or Committees.
Every four years Medway Council's 59 councillors elect a Leader. The Leader then appoints a Deputy Leader and up to 8 other councillors to form a Cabinet.
The Cabinet is responsible for implementing the council's budget and policies as well as forming partnerships with other key organisations.
The Full Council is responsible for setting the budget, considering recommendations from the Cabinet and making some decisions such as changes to the constitution.
Other decisions, such as those about planning applications, are made by Committees.
The Leader and Cabinet are held to account by Overview and Scrutiny Committees which are made up of councillors from all the political groups represented on the council.
The Mayor chairs Full Council meetings and has a traditional ceremonial role.
Everyone is welcome to attend Cabinet, Full Council and committee meetings to see how decisions are made. Times and locations can be found in the calendar of meetings.
Read about our formal decision making.