Kent County Council is set to increase its portion of the council tax bill to help plug a £62.5million funding black hole.

The Conservative-led administration at Kent County Council says a four per cent hike is needed to help soften the blow of six years of ‘significant cuts’ made by the Government.

A two per cent increase on county's element of your council tax bill is being proposed along with the addition of a two per cent social care precept as the council struggle to find a total of £64 million in savings to balance its books.

In a consultation, KCC is asking residents to consider an increase of up to two per cent and whether they would support an even higher increase.

Kent County Council is responsible for education, including school meals and school places, as well as roadworks, social care and support and libraries.

The county council also looks after flooding and drainage, bus passes and adoption and fostering.

A further two per cent increase is being proposed to fund social care across the borough, an idea county councillor and Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite has backed.

He said: “I don’t think people mind spending more money if they can see where it goes and it isn’t wasted.

“Social care is important and if Dartford residents can see the money going to the front line then I don’t think they’ll mind the increase. Speaking to resident’s social care always seems a priority.

“It will help Dartford’s care homes and support people living independently.”

A two per cent increase would add £20.88 to the bill for a typical band C property and take the total KCC element of council tax to £1,068.72, raising £12.6m towards funding increasing demand for services.

Dartford Labour leader councillor Jonathon Hawkes said cuts have already affected Dartford.

Cllr Hawkes said: “In Dartford residents have been seeing the impact of these cuts for the last few years and I fear it's going to get worse.

“Whether that be cuts to social care which is having a direct impact on capacity at Darent Valley Hospital or the state of our crumbling roads which have been neglected by the Conservatives for years.

“As with all cuts, it's the vulnerable who will be hit the hardest.”

The consultation on Kent County Councils budget was launched yesterday (Thursday, October 12) ahead of the Government’s Autumn Budget Statement.

Paul Carter, Kent County Council leader, said: “KCC has been highly successful over the last six to seven years in delivering a whole range of cost reduction measures, enabling public money to support improved front line services to our residents.

“This is against significant additional pressures on demand-led services provided by the council as a result of significant population growth and the need to support a growing proportion of elderly people in the county.”

The consultation can be found here.

How your council tax bill is made up:

Each organisation that provides services in your area sets their own proportion of the council tax bill you receive. These are:

Kent County Council

your district council

your parish council (if you have one)

Kent Police

Kent Fire and Rescue Service