Budget Consultation 2023-24
Consultation has concluded
Update 3 January 2023Thank you to everyone who gave their views. The Consultation Report is now available in the Documents section on this page. Your responses will be considered by Councillors at their Cabinet Committee and Cabinet meetings taking place throughout January before the draft budget is debated at and approved by County Council in February. |
Kent County Council (KCC) provides a wide range of services to Kent communities, spending over £1.8 billion annually. We are very aware that these services, whether they are statutory (the services we must provide) or discretionary (the ones we can choose to provide) are highly valued by our communities.
However, as in recent years, we know we will have to make some difficult decisions during the setting of the 2023-24 budget to ensure resources continue to be prioritised and money is directed to where it is needed most.
We totally understand that everyone in Kent is currently dealing with a very concerning rise in the cost of living. But the deep-felt impacts of rising inflation, followed swiftly off the back of the punishing pandemic, is also presenting KCC with significant financial challenges.
As we plan our spending for the year ahead we need to hear your views on our Council Tax proposals and your ideas for how we might make further savings.
Have your say
As always, your feedback is important to us. This year there are two ways you can get involved and tell us your views:
- Answer a few quick questions about Council Tax and if you have time some optional questions to help us better understand your views.
- Tell us your ideas for how we might make further savings.
We recommend that you read the consultation document which is available in the Documents section.
Your responses will be considered by Councillors at their Cabinet Committee and Cabinet meetings taking place throughout January 2023 before the budget is debated at and approved by County Council in February 2023.
How we spend our annual revenue budget
For every £100 we spend, this is how it is split between the various services we provide:
No | Service | Amount |
| 1 | Adults and older people | £35 |
| 2 | Children's social care | £12 |
| 3 | Children's other services | £9 |
| 4 | Borrowing costs | £8 |
| 5 | Management, support services and overheads | £7 |
| 6 | Transport services | £5 |
| 7 | Schools and high needs | £5 |
| 8 | Waste services | £5 |
| 9 | Public health | £4 |
| 10 | Highways | £3 |
| 11 | Other direct services to the public | £2 |
| 12 | Community services | £2 |
| 13 | Operational premises | £2 |
| 14 | Schools' services | £1 |
How we are funded
Council Tax currently funds almost half (46%) of our total spending budget (excluding schools), and this increases to just under 70% if you exclude spending that is directly funded from the income from service users and grants provided for a specific purpose, so it is a significant funding source for the services we provide.
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:
| No | Funding | Amount |
| 1 | Council Tax | £46 |
| 2 | Grants (ring-fenced for a specific purpose) | £19 |
| 3 | Grants (un-ring-fenced) | £16 |
| 4 | Income from service users | £16 |
| 5 | Business Rates | £3 |
Introduction from Peter Oakford, Cabinet Member for Finance
Who's listening
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Kent County Council
