Maidstone council looks set to maximise its council tax increase at an above-inflation rise of 3% - despite unexpectedly gaining an extra £1.58m after a change in Government policy.

The official inflation rate in January was only 1.8%.

Maidstone council's finance officers had prepared a four-year financial strategy based in the expectation that the Government would levy a "negative Revenue Support Grant" of £1.58m on the council in 2019.

It didn't, but finance director Mark Green said that rather than reduce the budget accordingly, the council would hold the money as a contingency against future funding pressures.

He asked members of the policy and resources committee to agree a balanced budget that would

require an increase of 3% or £7.56 per band D property - the maximum permitted under Government capping rules without holding a referendum.

That was challenged by the borough's Conservative group, with Cllr John Perry presenting an alternative budget that would have frozen council tax to this year's level. He said: "Many of our residents, those on fixed pensions for example, do not have the luxury of annual increments in their salary.

"We should always be considerate of our residents."

He proposed making up the short-fall in income by switching to four-yearly elections instead of the present system of elections for one third of the council each year, and also cutting the borough's "communications" budget and holding a review of the museum's services to find

savings.

But Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) said it was not possible to base a budget on assumptions of savings that might not come about. He added "I have rarely seen anything as reckless and feckless as this."

Cllr Fay Gooch (Ind) said: "I cannot support a 0% increase."

While Labour's Malcolm McKay said: "No-one on the Conservative side expects this amendment to be passed, but it will make good headlines, which is what the Conservatives want - chasing publicity."

The Conservative amendment was defeated.

The Council Tax will be finally determined at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday next week.