Is Your Council Tax Going Down The Drain?

This page is designed to inform the people of Kent of Council Tax payers money spent on areas which may not have a local authority statutory obligation or may just not be good value for money. The Lib Dem Group would like to know your views on what the money has been spent on and your thoughts on what the money could have been spent on instead.

Your Thoughts >> click on image

Or contact us >> click on image

£17.8Million for Highways Relocation

January 2006 capital accommodation investment approved £17,700,000 (net) to develop 3 super depots, these plans were revised in summer 2006 to relocate to 2 super depots and 2 satellite depots The net savings on revised programme was estimated at £3,400,000 with an annual revenue savings of £53,000. However the model requires significant investment in mobile technology and business systems, estimated at £3,700,000, so no net saving on the revised programme, infact an additional £300,000 investment.

£2.8 Million lost on Failed Arts Project - Turner Contemporary One in Margate

The first Turner Contemporary Gallery design, located in the sea off Margate pier, was abandoned after costs spiralled to over £50m without a brick being laid. Since Feb 2006 KCC has been attempting to recover money it spent on design and advice on construction totalling around £8m

Kent County Council, Snohetta AS, Davis Langdon LLP and Ramboll UK Limited reached a settlement (October 2009) of the dispute in connection with the architectural design, engineering advice, cost advice, project management and intended construction of Turner Contemporary Gallery at Margate. Without any admissions as to liability the court proceedings have been brought to an end by way of a payment to KCC of £6 million which KCC states "is inclusive of interest and costs".

The payment of £6 million falls significantly short of all KCC's costs for the failed Turner project - of which the known costs amount to at least £8,089,000. This appears to leave outstanding costs of £2,089.000 - which presumably has been picked up by Kent's council tax payers.

And what of the 'new' Turner?

The 'new' Turner Contemporary had Paul Carter's personally imposed £15,000,000 ceiling on the capital costs. But already this risen by £2,400,000 to £17,400,000. The excuse that the £15,000,000 was not a ceiling at all but an estimate pre the appointment of the architects (David Chipperfield) and extras relating specifically to the condition of the site. To make Turner Contemporary happen KCC anticipates spending £859,000 revenue and £1,547,000 of the £17.4M capital in 2007-08.

£5.6Million on Publicity

When it comes to self publicity, KCC was the fifth highest spending Local Authority in England and Wales in 2007-08. Infact KCC expenditure on publicity had risen a whopping 300% since 1996/97, from £1,409,000 to £5,683,000!

Publicity spending is described as 'any communication, in whatever form addressed to the public at large or a section of the public'. So does £5.6M represent good value for money for the population of Kent?

For you to be able to make your own mind up, below are the publicity spend details for the five councils with the largest populations.

£1.2Million plus £0.4Million for KentTV Pilot

£200,000 capital costs and £600,000 revenue costs to run a pilot Kent TV Station via Broadband. Will the pilot be successful? - a mere 589 viewers logged on to the KCC web cam to watch the Full Council Budget Debate on 22 February 2007. The Business Case, a breakdown of the costs and details of how the TV Station will become self funding are currently unavailable due to commercial sensitivity. Interestingly the figures for the broadcasting Medway Matter TV in the neighbouring Medway Unitary Authority are available - £5,864.36 for video journalist camera / days training for two Medway officers, £700 for software to edit the material and £10-£15 per month running costs for hosting on the website. Spring 2009, viewing figures are not attracting the sponsors so in the Autumn KCC will consider ploughing another £400,000 of tax payer money into the TV station as Kent TV will not be self financed.

£0.5Million EU-Jet and Virginia Project

Two failed project in less than 3 years with losses of £408,559.56:

1. EU Jet / Planestation - total loss £110,00.00. In June 2004 KCC bought £100,000 shares in EU-Jet Ops Ltd. Planestation took over EU-Jet and the shares were converted into warrants in the company, KCC also invested an additional 15,000 (£10,000) Euros working capital in Planestation. Both investments of £110,000 were lost upon liquidation of the company

2. Charter flights to Virginia - KCC total losses £298,559.56. This can be broken down as £57,491 the cost of the consultancy fees for the initial feasibility study of Freudmann Tipple and £241,559.56 for the direct flights - to secure the hire of a plane and to market the flight programme and non-refundable. The losses to KCC represent 27% of the overall cost of the project of £783,000.

£26Million KCC Employees in top 5% of Taxpayers

482 (non school) KCC managers are earning an annual income in excess of £50,000, that's an increase of 75 managers on the previous year. In 2007/08 407 managers cost more than £26 million or the equivalent of £18.81 per person in Kent. By contrast 11 years ago KCC only employed 37 managers earning over £50,000 at a cost of £2.5 million.

The figures for accounts ending 31 March 08. in show total remuneration -all sums paid to or receivable by an employee expenses allowances chargeable to tax ie. profit element of car allowance and money value of benefits such as health insurance.

to view 'KCC Statement of Accounts' >> click on image