Council tax going up by 3.9 per cent after vote
Perth and Kinross budget
Perth and Kinross Council has agreed a council tax increase of 3.9 per cent for 2023/24.
While higher than the three per cent increase previously agreed by councillors, the SNP group told councillors it was “significantly below inflation” and “the lowest increase in mainland Scotland so far”.
Councillors met on Wednesday, March 1, to decide how best to plug a mammoth £ 31 million funding gap.
SNP council leader Grant Laing tabled the administration’s budget as “a budget that focuses on protecting people, jobs and our vital assets”.
Following a lengthy lunchtime recess – lasting over two hours – Cllr Laing announced several amendments incorporating suggestions from other political groups.
PKC’s current longestserving councillor then praised the council leader’s approach and described it as “almost a collegiate budget”.
L i b e ral Democrat councillor Willie Robertson said: “It makes such a difference if all political groups are consulted and get an opportunity to have an input in the way we spend our scant resources.”
In a raft of savings, councillors voted to reject cuts to winter maintenance, street cleaning, primary school swimming lessons, parent councils, music camps, music tuition and to maintain the current number of school crossing patrollers and educational psychology provision.
Grit bins will be added to new locations and the council has made a financial commitment to tackle flytipping, littering and dog fouling.
Councillors have also agreed to invest £100,000 to provide further support to families and children in poverty.
Elected members voted to reinvest some of the money saved as an indirect consequence of teachers’ industrial action in schools.
A reinvestment of £ 100,000 was agreed to provide study support in schools over the Easter holidays for senior secondary pupils ahead of their exams.
Councillors rejected the recommended cuts to the virtual campus across secondary schools and to reinvest £61,000 to expand the course choice by a further five subjects from August 2024.
There will also be £120,000 to pay for food and fun activities for children during school holidays.
The recommendation put before councillors was to reduce the staff workforce by three per cent. Perth and Kinross Council has now confirmed there will be a “minimal impact on council staff numbers”.
A PKC spokesperson said: “A small reduction in staff numbers is likely to be achieved through managing existing vacancies and staff turnover.”
Street cleaning and winter maintenance reductions were also rejected by councillors, and the existing services will be enhanced with extra investment to add grit bins to new locations and to deal with anti-social fly-tipping, littering and dog fouling.
Tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies also remains a priority for the administration, which is providing £ 75,000 to support biodiversity in open spaces.
Tabling his motion, Cllr Laing said: “This budget invests in our children and families, it invests in our economic wellbeing, it invests in our communities, it invests in climate change and in our infrastructure.
“It also minimises the financial impact on all our households with a council tax rise significantly below inflation.
“It is a budget designed to ensure that our residents and our communities can remain confident in all that our council stands for.
“It is a budget which focuses on protecting people, protecting jobs and protecting our vital assets.”
The SNP proposal received 24 votes.
The Conservatives’ alternative was voted for by 14 people.
Both Labour councillors abstained, citing the need for the PH20 project and the fact that £150,000 from the PH20 earmarked reserves was to be used to fund the SNP revenue budget.
The PH20 project is the long-awaited replacement for Perth Leisure Pool and Dewars Centre.
Carse of Gowrie Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey said: “It’s not looking rosy for families who are fans of swimming.”
The SNP budget was supported by both the Independent group and the Liberal Democrat group.
A budget that focuses on protecting people, jobs and our vital assets
Council leader Grant Laing