Council tax payers in face an increase of almost three per cent on their bills this year.

Kent County Council, which accounts for the largest chunk of the council tax, is proposing an increase of 2.85 per cent to help fund its spending plans for 2009.

The council says the rise represents its lowest increase since the council tax was introduced in 1993.

It will mean an average Band D household will have to pay £1,030 for the KCC share of the tax although overall bills will be higher once district council, police authority and fire authority and parish council precepts are added.

KCC’s ruling Conservative administration says its budget, which includes a package of savings totalling nearly £40million, will safeguard frontline services. County council leader Paul Carter (Con) said: “Our proposals protect frontline services. Increased demand for services and other cost pressures mean we have had to put an additional £66.4million into the budget. The net increase in our government grant was £5.1milllion, leaving the rest to come from savings, income and council tax.”

But there is growing dismay among thousands of county council staff, who will have to settle for a one per cent pay rise. The pay award is likely to trigger a ballot on industrial action.

County Hall’s Labour opposition group accused KCC of setting a budget geared towards this year’s council elections. Cllr Derek Smyth, finance spokesman, said: “This is an artificially low council tax increase. It is not sustainable in the long term.”

Under KCC’s spending plans, which will have to be agreed at a meeting next month, more money will be spent on the following:

£4.6m extra for frontline services to protect vulnerable young people

£8.7m investment in adult social care

An extra £15.9m of highways maintenance

£3.8m to extend the Freedom Pass across the county from June, giving free bus travel to 11 to 16-year-olds.