Kent council increases tax by 4.99% in budget

Council tax payers in Kent will see their bills increase by 4.99% from April.

It means the average Band D tax payer will need to find an extra £6.40 a month or just over £76 a year more to pay their council tax.

Kent County Council (KCC) agreed the hike as part of its 2025-26 budget at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Leader Roger Gough said it was the "right budget for the tough times in which we have to operate" while deputy leader Peter Oakford said he was "more than sorry" for asking people to pay more again.

Mr Gough, Conservative leader said KCC is under "severe pressure" and that "the bleakest picture of all remains in adult social care".

Mr Oakford told the BBC: "We've put £80m extra into adult social care this year and it simply isn't enough."

Under current rules, councils in England providing social care services can increase tax rates by up to 5% or they must get permission for the government to increase it further.

Mr Oakford said: "I can't imagine a time when we won't have to ask for the full amount, because adult social care is broken.

"It's like the NHS, it just isn't working and we need the government to do a proper review.

"We have only managed to balance this budget by overhauling some of the services we provide and cutting some really great things that people value.

"Gone are the days of nice to haves. We have to spend what we have on looking after the most vulnerable people who need our help the most."

KCC said it "has made, and will continue to find, significant savings and income amounting to £96m in order to balance the budget".

It said it would focus on "transforming services", changes in council policies, not replacing staff who leave and reducing dependency on agency staff.

The budget passed at County Hall with 41 councillors voting for it. There were 10 votes against and 7 abstentions.

Council leader Roger Gough warned of the challenging years ahead and said it would "remain extremely tough".

Alister Bady, the Labour opposition group leader, said it was a result of "decades of Tory waste".

He told cabinet members: "Unfortunately, some savings are inevitable because of your policy failures - we are forced to make these.

"But year on year, you make these cuts without mitigations."

Referring to the May elections, Mr Brady said that "time is running out for the current Tory administration."

The budget was approved against a backdrop of local government reform which could see the dismantling of KCC and the other 13 authorities in the county in the coming years to make way for a number of unitary councils.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.