Council tax pays for local services like schools, social care services, waste collection, maintenance of roads and structures, street lighting, leisure & culture, emergency services and much more.

The majority of the council tax goes to the Local authority, Monmouthshire County Council, to spend on local services but parts also go to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent and Community Councils.

The council also receives income from business rates, government grants, other fees and charges, all of which contribute towards the cost of providing council services.

Council tax also contributes to other costs and services including the management of council buildings, costs associated with policy, strategy and communication, the costs of running the revenue and benefits service and borrowing costs.

2026/27 Budget

The information below is provided for residents who want more detail about how the Council plans and manages its finances.

The council spending is split into two categories called revenue and capital.

The council’s budget plan sees an overall revenue budget for 2026/27 of £263 million. This includes sums collected on behalf of the Police (£19.8 million), and Town & Community Councils (£4.2 million).

The revenue budget will be financed by:

• Revenue support grant from Welsh Government of £111.3 million
• Non-Domestic rate redistribution of £33.4 million
• Council Tax (MCC) of £94.3 million
• Council Tax (Police and crime commissioner for Gwent) of £19.8 million
• Council Tax (Community Councils) of £4.2 million

The Council’s budget also sees a capital investment of £18.7 million for 2026/27.

This capital expenditure will look to support:

• investment in our infrastructure including highways structures, roads, footpaths, public rights of way, and property estate
• investment in inclusion schemes including disabled facilities grants and access for all schemes;
• investment in our ICT and network estate to improve the resilience of our service delivery

Click here (Link to be updated, please check again for future updates) to see how your Council Tax is used to support the services we provide and to see where we are continuing to invest in our assets.

Medium term financial planning

Our medium term financial planning (MFTS) is the cornerstone of how we plan and manage our finances. It sets out the main financial challenges and risks we expect to face over the coming years.

We regularly update our medium term financial plan (MTFP) to ensure it reflects the latest situation. The next update will focus on how we can continue to deliver services at current levels, even as demand and costs rise, and while there is uncertainty about future funding.

The plan will highlight the risks and challenges of managing a budget deficit over the medium term. It will also explain the approaches the Council is considering to build a sustainable financial future, supporting efficient and effective services for Monmouthshire’s communities. All decisions will align with our Community and Corporate Plan and other key strategies.