Our budget
2024 to 2025 budget
Every year we set a budget to determine how much money will be spent on services.
We need to manage the challenge of significant spending demands and cost increases within the funding available, which mainly comes from Council Tax and the government. This requires tough choices about priorities for the future.
As we plan our spending for the year ahead, we sought your views on:
- our Council Tax proposals
- whether we are prioritising resources in the right areas
- your suggestions for how we might find further savings.
The consultation ran from 13 July to 6 September 2023. Find out more about the consultation.
Your responses are currently being analysed. They will be considered by members at their Cabinet Committee meetings taking place during November 2023 before the budget proposals are finalised and considered for approval by County Council in February 2024.
2023 to 2024 budget
Kent County Council approved its 2023 to 2024 revenue budget, 2023 to 2026 medium term financial plan and 2023 to 2033 capital budget at a full council meeting on 9 February 2023. Details of these can be found in our:
- Budget book (PDF, 7.1 MB) - including the 2023 to 2033 capital investment plans by directorate and the 2023 to 2024 revenue budget by directorate and key service presentation
- The Variation Statements show the movement in budget between the approved budget for 2022 to 2023 and the final approved budget for 2023 to 2024.
2023 to 2024 revenue budget
How we spend our annual revenue budget
We provide a huge range of essential services to Kent residents, spending over £2 billion (excluding schools) each year.
For every £100 we spend, this is how it is split between the various services we provide:
| Service | Total spend (per £100) |
|---|---|
| Adults and older people | £36 |
| Children's social care | £12 |
| Children's other services | £9 |
| Management, support services and overheads | £7 |
| Borrowing costs | £7 |
| Transport services | £5 |
| Schools and high needs | £5 |
| Waste services | £4 |
| Public health | £4 |
| Community services | £3 |
| Highways | £3 |
| Other direct services to the public | £2 |
| Costs of running our operational premises | £2 |
| Schools’ services | £1 |
How our annual revenue budget is funded
Funding for our revenue budget comes from many sources. 43% of our total annual expenditure budget (excluding schools) is funded from money we receive from Council Tax.
Each year we set a budget to decide how much we're able to spend on services for Kent residents and businesses for the next financial year, compared to how much income we're likely to get from government and local taxation (Council Tax and business rates) to fund this.
For every £100 in funding we receive, this is how it is split between the different sources of income:
| Funding source | Amount (per £100) |
|---|---|
| Council Tax (including associated COVID-19 compensation) | £43 |
| Grants (ringfenced for a specific purpose) | £28 |
| Income from service users | £16 |
| Grants (unringfenced) | £10 |
| Business rates | £3 |
2023 to 2033 capital budget
How we spend our capital budget
The capital budget for 2023 to 2033 is £1,624 million (over £1.6 billion). The diagram below summarises what this is spent on:
| Service | Amount in £million |
|---|---|
| Highways, structures and waste enhancement | £590 |
| Other highway and transport improvements | £456 |
| Other school projects | £259 |
| Additional school places | £152 |
| Modernisation and improved utilisation of council premises | £110 |
| Economic development initiatives | £37 |
| Community projects | £15 |
| Adults, social care and health | £5 |
How our capital budget is funded
Funding for our capital budget comes from many sources. Over half comes from grant funding and around 25% is borrowed. The following diagram shows how the capital budget is funded:
| Service | Amount in £million |
|---|---|
| Grants | £958 |
| Borrowing | £400 |
| Developer contributions | £114 |
| Revenue contributions | £63 |
| Recycling of loan repayments | £39 |
| Capital receipts | £26 |
| Other external funding | £24 |