COUNCIL taxpayers face a hike of nearly five per cent in their bills after Kent County Council revealed details of its spending plans for the year.

The hike, close to the government’s limit of five per cent, will push average bills for KCC’s share of the bill up by around £45.00 to £964.17 for homes in Band D - those valued at between £68,000 and £88,000.

Kent County Council, which accounts for the largest slice of council tax bills, said government under-funding was to blame for the above-inflation increase.

It insisted a package of cost-cutting measures aimed at saving £30million would not hit frontline services or lead to cuts.

Conservative leader Cllr Paul Carter, who outlined the authority’s spending plans on Monday, blamed ministers for failing to take on board the special pressures facing Kent.

Around 190 jobs could be affected as part of the cost-cutting proposals, although KCC says it is confident compulsory redundancies could be avoided.

Cllr Carter also revealed that KCC had abandoned £20million of spending on capital projects to try and spare council taxpayers even higher bills.

He said: "I am a firm believer in cutting taxes and have sought out every means of trying to reduce council tax increases but further cuts would affect services for our most vulnerable residents and we cannot do that."

Changes in the government’s grant rules meant KCC’s budget had been cut by 5.3 per cent once spending on schools was taken out of the equation, he added.

The proposed savings of £30million had been achieved by a "ruthless" examination of where money was spent. As a result, some £7.5million had been found to spend on meeting the administration’s top priorities, outlined in its "Towards 2010" strategy.

"We are moving to a priority-led budget, deciding on what are the significant areas and varying expenditure on others," added Cllr Carter.

The opposition Labour party swiftly dismissed claims of underfunding, saying KCC had been awarded £40million more to spend on services.

Cllr Mike Eddy (Lab) said: "The problem is the real need of the County Hall Tories to offset the needless waste of resources ranging from a few hundred thousand pounds on unnecessary trips abroad to millions on the aborted original Turner Centre project and on an expensive re-organisation of Kent highways."

The budget will come under srcutiny and public consultation over the next few weeks.

WHAT your Kent County Council tax bill is likely to be in 2007-2008:

Band A homes: £642.78

Band B homes: £749.91

Band C homes: £857.04

Band D homes: £964.17

Band E homes: £1,178.43

Band F homes: £1,392.69

Band G homes: £1,606.95

Band H homes: £1,928.34

Increase: 4.95 per cent

Total spending by KCC in 2007-2008: £1.56billion

Contribution of council taxpayers: £510million

KCC budget at-a-glance:

· Council tax bills up by nearly five per cent

· Capital budget trimmed by £20million

· Around 190 jobs affected by five per cent cut in staffing budgets

· KCC staff to get two per cent pay rise

· Savings of £40million

· £1.5million on pilot plan for free school transport for 11-to 16-year-olds

· £1million to promote "economic success and more jobs"

· Care rules unchanged to protect services for elderly