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Paul
Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, today announced the
proposed budget for 2008-09, based on a council tax rise of
3.9%.
Mr Carter said: "Residents continually ask why the council tax
keeps going up and up.
"To provide services - highways, social care, education - we are
dependent upon two sources of funding. The majority is government
grant (redistributed from taxation and commercial rates on shops,
offices etc). The second, smaller, component is council tax.
"For the last three years we have been given less grant from
government than the rate of inflation. If we exclude schools, just
to stand still at the current rate of inflation, we need an
additional £33m. The government has given us an additional
£9m."
The budget, which will need to be approved by the Council's
Cabinet on 6 February and the County Council on 19 February,
enables Kent to protect front-line services and is expected to keep
Kent's Band D tax lower than the majority of county councils.
Mr Carter added: "In order to meet the increasing demands for
services and invest in the future we believe we need to spend an
additional £61m next year.
"For example, services for vulnerable adults and older people,
due to an increase in demand and ageing population, will cost an
extra £8million next year.
"Our £9m government settlement increase means we have to find
the remaining £52m ourselves. We have worked hard to find yet more
efficiency savings and new income streams which will deliver £27m
next year.
"We have an excellent track record of delivering savings, well
in excess of the government's targets, while protecting front-line
services.
"It is becoming harder every year to find savings to bridge the
gap between what we need to deliver services and the grant we get
from government. The balance has to come through the increase in
council tax.
"In deciding this budget we have assumed that our costs for
looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will be
reimbursed by government. If they are not this may have an impact
on council tax."
The budget protects services to children, families and
vulnerable and older people, as well as community safety and the
voluntary sector.
Investments include meeting increasing demand for adult social
care, the accelerated roll-out of the Freedom Pass and an increase
in spending to repair roads and pavements.
There will also be an increase in the number of education,
vocational and training programmes for young people; expanding arts
and sports initiatives and the further rollout of new Gateways.
The capital building programme is the biggest yet and will
improve schools, highways and public buildings such as museums,
galleries and libraries.
The KCC element of the council tax bill for Band D properties
will increase by £37.62 (72p a week) to
£1001.79. |