00:00There will be tough decisions ahead but for the first time in many years this council is moving in the
00:08right direction.
00:09A lower than usual council tax rise and writing off millions in debt.
00:14Those are the things that have marked a historic day at Kent County Council in the eyes of Reform UK
00:21as they set out their first ever budget for the local authority.
00:26It is a plan that secures stability now, prepares us for the future and ensures that we remain focused on
00:35what matters most, delivery for Kent.
00:38When you have a look through the budget appendices it's clear that this isn't just a historic budget but a
00:44potentially risky one
00:45that could cost the council more than £410 million if things go wrong.
00:52If you've got more than £400 million of risk but only £80 million in reserve that's a perilous situation to
01:00be in.
01:01The budget already has got lots of cuts to services.
01:03I'm very worried that if these risks materialise it will be quite devastating and KCC will have to make big
01:11cuts to services or even sell off lots of assets.
01:15I really am saying my prayers that we don't get another pandemic like Covid or we don't get another problem
01:23that comes along that nobody can foresee.
01:25It's the things that people don't know about that those reserves are there to cushion us against.
01:31Any reaction Lyndon? Anything Brian?
01:36We weren't able to ask the leaders of Kent County Council how they were planning on managing those financial risks.
01:44They declined our request for interviews.
01:47What we do know is that despite the balanced budget being passed here today the financial pressure facing the council
01:55isn't going away.
01:57There'll be plenty more long meetings here at Sessions House as councillors try to balance the books.
02:05Oli Lieder in Maystone.
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