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Liberal Democrats on Kent County CouncilThe Official Opposition on Kent County Council |
How Much Would You Pay For Kent Schools? Kent Residents To Be Consulted
February 26, 2003 12:00 AM
Martin Vye, Liberal Democrat Member for Canterbury South, has succeeded in getting an agreement that Kent County Council will consult the residents of Kent over the next year about the level of Council Tax that they are prepared to pay for a better schools.
Withdrawal of Government grant away from Kent has left a shortfall for the next three years between what the Government gave Kent, and what it expected Kent to pass on to schools. KCC has made good the first year's shortfall by raising Council Tax by 2.7%, BUT Kent Conservatives had signalled that they did not intend to add any subsidy for the following two years.
In the debate at the County Council meeting on Thursday 20th February, he said:
"We have reached a crunch-point. The County Council has to raise more and more by increases in Council Tax to give schools what they need. For example, a young teacher or nurse, in a Band D property will be paying about £20 out of their £100 a year increase in Council Tax this year to cover the shortfall in school funding."
"We do not want to pile further burdens on people on modest incomes, especially through such an unfair tax as Council Tax. But, if KCC refuse to make up the shortfall, schools will suffer. We should not make that decision now, but we must make the situation clear to Kent residents and ask them how much they would be prepared to pay to ensure our children are not disadvantaged against the rest of the country."
Martin Vye's proposal was accepted by the Council, and Paul Carter, Cabinet member for Education, promised he would start planning for such a wide-ranging consultation.