Tax rise is agreed as budget set
Residents in Perth and Kinross will see their council tax bills increase by 4.28 per cent from April after the 2020/21 budget was approved on Friday.
But proposed cuts to both the winter maintenance budget and funding for parent councils will be scrapped.
Some crossing patrollers facing the axe have also been saved, but only where there is “no safe alternative”.
Swimming lessons in primary schools will continue to be free while a proposed increase to music instrumental fees has also been removed.
Perth and Kinross councillors gathered at 2 High Street to set the council’s revenue budget of over £370 million.
The Conservative administration struck a deal with the three Liberal Democrat councillors present to pass the budget by a single vote. Councillors have agreed to decide the capital budget in June.
Conservative group leader Murray Lyle, who represents the Strathallan ward, hit out at funding cuts from the Scottish Government as he delivered the Conservatives’ proposals.
He said: “Over the past decade the Scottish Government has continued to make a political choice to consistently reduce in real terms the funding options it makes available to local councils.
“The Scottish Government will herald a £500m increase in funding to councils. However, what they are less keen to shout about is that this comes with £ 500m of commitments to national policies.”
He said this reduction led them to propose a four per cent increase to council tax, which was then increased to 4.28 per cent.
The Conservative council leader rejected cuts to the winter maintenance budget, as well as cuts to funding for parent councils, school crossing patrollers, primary school swimming lessons and increases to music instrumental service fees.
Cllr Caroline Shiers later clarified school crossing patrollers would remain in place where there was “no safe alternative provision.”
The Tories accepted officers’ proposals for cuts to Playstart and both teachers in secondary schools and early years, which could mean larger class sizes in secondary schools.
The SNP’s deputy group leader Cllr Fiona Sarwar brought forward their budget, proposing a 4.28 per cent council tax increase in the first year followed by a four per cent increase in the two subsequent years. They updated this to 3.72 per cent following a recess.
She said the “effects of Brexit were creating challenging conditions.”
Both the SNP group and a joint Independent and Labour group rejected cuts to school crossing patrollers, secondary teachers and early years, primary school swimming lessons, parent council funding and the proposed increases to music tuition fees. They proposed re-instating the budget for Playstart.
The Independent and Labour group proposed a 2.5 per cent increase to council tax and a ‘People’s Bus Pilot’ – a councilrun bus service which Cllr Xander McDade claimed would save the council money.
They rejected proposed cuts to winter maintenance, with Cllr McDade saying it would “disproportionately affect rural communities.”
They also proposed additional funding for textbooks in Perth and Kinross schools, and rejected increases in costs to skip hire and waste management.
Lib Dem group leader Cllr Peter Barrett proposed a five per cent increase to council tax.
They rejected the removal of school crossing patrollers, primary swimming lessons and the school supply contingency budget.
They also called for the winter maintenance spending to be maintained for the “safety of pedestrians and road users.”
Cllr Barrett said they widely supported the instrumental music service and reluctantly proposed an annual 10 per cent increase.
Cllr Callum Purves, who was suspended from the Conservative party, put forward a budget set by himself and Cllr Colin Stewart, who was suspended as a councillor, proposing no increase in council tax.
He said their budget protected “vital frontline public services,” as well as “committing millions of pounds towards the people’s priorities” by making the council more efficient.
Fellow Kinross- shire Independent councillor Michael Barnacle seconded Cllr Purves’ budget “in the interests of democracy.”
After discussions behind closed doors, the Conservatives came back with an alternative budget upping the council tax increase to 4.28 per cent and re-instating the full £600,000 to its three-year budget for the community investment fund, which they had previously paused.
SNP leader Cllr Grant Laing said: “The Lib Dems are running the council again. Their [the Conservatives] leaflets in 2017 said there would be no increase, or a one per cent increase, in council tax.
Cllr Lyle denied having this on his own literature, and added:“It’s been a challenging week. We are a minority administration so we had to work with another group.”