‘Council tax rise will hit poor the hardest’
Opposition groups angry at increase
Perth and Kinross’ most vulnerable residents will be hit hardest by this week’s budget announcement, according to opposition councillors.
On a dramatic day at 2 High Street, councillors approved a spending package for 2019/20, but only after Provost Dennis Melloy was forced to use his casting vote when two of his Conservative colleagues failed to show up.
Councillors Colin Stewart and Callum Purves avoided the meeting in protest at the council tax increase.
Among the decisions in the budget – dubbed ‘the Perth and Kinross offer’ by council leader Murray Lyle –came the ditching of controversial proposals including hikes to music tuition fees, cuts to school crossing patrollers and the winter maintenance budget.
But residents will need to stump up to keep these services running with a four per cent increase in council tax and increases to many other fees and charges across the region.
And Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey told the meeting the poorest residents would feel the pinch. He and his independent group colleagues had proposed a 2.5 per cent rise instead.
He told the PA: “The council tax in its current form is a regressive tax that impacts the least well off hardest.
“That’s why we worked hard as an independent and Labour group to balance the books without raiding taxpayers’ pockets. With compounding over three years, the Conservative-Lib Dem group are making a 12.5 per cent increase here whilst our proposal is at 8.7 per cent.”
Defending the increase, Murray Lyle said: “While this will only cost a household in a band D property around 92p a week, it will generate approximately £3.3million of additional funding which we will use to protect vital council services and build our economy.
“To put it into context, this is equivalent to the annual salaries for about 70 teachers or social workers.”
The budget discussions went on until 5pm on Wednesday as opposition members clashed.
However, the chamber found they were singing from the same hymn sheet regarding the increase in charges for the instrumental music service and other drastic money-saving measures.
The administration rejected the rise in music tuition fees and chose to reinstate the budget for school crossing patrollers, parent councils, primary swimming lesson, skills for work, devolved school management and the school supply contingency budget.
Independent councillor Rhona Brock told the chamber that nothing had ever filled her inbox more than reaction to the scrapping of school crossing patrollers.
PKC also reinstated the budget for play areas, planned maintenance, recycling centres, public transport, public conveniences, grounds, winter and roads maintenance.
However, the controversial ‘bin tax’ did still slip through.
The Tory-Lib Dem administration said it will not raise the garden waste permit to £40. However, it will still rise by £5 to £30 this April and then to £35 next year.
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes told the chamber: “This will still generate over £1.2m in the coming years – sufficient income to support the continued employment of 28 teachers or 28 social workers, money much needed in the face of Scottish Government cuts.”
The administration also made several announcements of key investments including putting £50,000 into tackling food insecurity during school holidays.
The council also announced they would invest £30,000 in school uniform grants to bring it up to the same level as other councils.
They are putting £180,000 into Horsecross Arts, £30,000 into Birnam Arts, £36,000 into the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, £200,000 into Live Active Leisure, £150,000 into Culture Perth and Kinross, £300,000 for road safety measures including vehicle-activated signs and implementing new 20mph limits and zones, as well as £1m for road safety measures around schools.
Following an outcry over the potential temporary closure of schools due to Janet Law, chair of Blackford Community Council, made her feelings known on Wednesday the removal of the supply contingency budget, the administration pledged more money towards education.
In his speech, Murray Lyle said: “Today we recognise over £3m of demand pressures costs, and hereby reinstate over £1m into education and children’s services.
“Beyond this I am also investing over £500,000 to support our young people and their futures.
“Teachers play the most crucial role in the education of our children.
“It is vital that we protect their numbers and I am pleased to confirm that our proposals today will ensure that our pupil/teacher ratio continues to be significantly better than the national average.
“We propose to fully restore the supply contingency budget to ensure that schools are able to get the supply teachers when they are needed.
“It is also extremely important that schools have the resources that they require to ensure that our children have the best possible learning experience.”
He also pledged investment for rural economies: “Over £300,000 will also be invested in our rural economies. “This funding will build on the successful