A report by auditors Grant Thornton into Kent CC’s finances has been described as ‘challenging’ after it identified a need for the authority to save £86m this financial year.
The report said the council had reported a ‘significant forecast overspend’ last year which ‘is likely to impact on its financial resilience’.
Chairman of Kent’s Growth, Economic Development and Communities Cabinet Committee, Cllr Neil Baker, reportedly said: ‘The auditor’s report makes for very challenging reading.
‘We cannot pretend that it is all roses and sunny uplands but what the auditor does is put it out there that we have to make tough decisions and we’re not hiding from it, in the way that other authorities have.’
It was revealed earlier this year that Kent CC faced a £50m overspend for 2022-23, with the authority having already entered into a safety valve agreement with the Government to tackle its high needs block deficit of £147m.
A Kent CC spokesperson said the position had improved since the report was written and work had already started on addressing the £86m savings.
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