News

COUNCIL TAX RISE IN-LINE WITH INFLATION

A value-for-money budget that boosts services and drives out further efficiency savings will keep next year's Council Tax increase for Kent County Council down to 3.7 per cent.

It will mean a band "D" home will be liable for a Council Tax increase of about £1 a week.

Leader of the Council Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart said: "We're setting out a Council Tax increase of 3.7 per cent. This has been achieved against a background of further government grant loss away from the south east and has meant close investigation of all council departments to cut administration and overheads and bring forward £32 million in savings.

"An increase of 3.7 per cent is still higher than we would have liked. The government's refusal to use the 2001 Census information, which shows that Kent has more young and elderly people, has cost us £9 million. If they had paid this money that Kent is owed, it would have cut Council Tax by a further two per cent.

"We have been determined to produce a value-for-money budget that makes savings but also invests in the priorities of local people. We have set out a budget for the highest-ever spend on school buildings and on new vocational training centres, as well as new investment in crime reduction measures and community wardens. There is new money for libraries and a 50 per cent increase in funding for village halls, together with more money to enable elderly people to remain in their own homes."

The government grant for Kent increased by £41 million of which £32.4 million goes straight to schools.

Shepway Council have yet to set their Council Tax.