Kent County Council has announced it plans to freeze council tax bills next year - but will have to save £60m because of government cuts.

The authority is likely to shed more jobs as it is facing another tough financial year caused by the government's squeeze on spending, which has meant grants to councils have been cut by 28% over a four-year period.

Despite the bleak outlook, County Hall's ruling Conservative administration insists its draft spending plans, now out for public consultation, will safeguard services for the most vulnerable and boost the economy.

However, there are already concerns over a move to spend less on care for the elderly and other vulnerable adults.

Savings of more than £18m are planned - a cut of more than 5% - at a time when demand for such services are continuing to rise.

Spending on services for the county's most vulnerable children, which have recovered from a damning Ofsted inspection two years ago, will also be cut by £5.3m.

Social services chiefs say better preventative schemes, allowing the elderly and frail to stay in their own homes for longer, will curb the spiralling costs of placing them in care homes.

It also says there will be closer ties with the NHS to to cut the times elderly people are admitted to acute hospitals.

Cllr Graham Gibbens, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "It will not be possible to keep going at the same level of expansion if we do not do things differently. If we do nothing now the situation will become impossible in 20 years time."

KCC leader Cllr Paul Carter acknowledged that some savings would depend on other organisations, such as the NHS, doing things differently.

He said: "Of course some tough decisions have to be taken. All councils are facing unprecedented cuts to their funding as the government tackles the national deficit and that situation is not going to change in coming years.

"If we did nothing to tackle our spending, in four years time KCC would require a 43% rise in council tax to keep services going."

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said she was sceptical that key services would remain unscathed.

"Just like last year, we are being told that these cuts will not frontline services but they will. It is not as black and white as it seems."

Residents are being asked to give their views on the 2013-14 budget plan. You can find out more at www.kent.gov.uk/budgetviews . Consultation ends on November 1.