Council tax freeze this year will mean 10% rise next time
Residents in East Lothian will face a 10 per cent rise in council tax next year after councillors agreed to support a freeze in this year’s budget.
A special meeting of East Lothian Council to set the budget for the coming years saw the Labour administration’s plans to freeze council tax for the year ahead but introduce the increased rise next year approved.
The Scottish Government has offered local authorities who freeze council tax additional funding equal to an increase of just under 5 per cent. However at the virtual meeting of elected members on Tuesday, finance chiefs said that when the grant was included with the rest of the national funding, the figure was closer to a 3 per cent rise.
The administration budget included priority funding of £5 million for the Loch Centre, in Tranent, to carry out a major refurbishment and reopen its swimming pool which was welcomed by all parties. And there was universal support for plans to make owners of second homes pay double the council tax paid by residents.
But there were disagreements about other proposals from the Labour group, with plans to reduce instrumental music services and encourage school children who have nationally funded Under 22 free bus passes to stop using school passes challenged by opposition groups.
All of the main political groups accused the others of ‘hiding’ proposed cuts until the last minute instead of working together. SNP and Conservative group amendments were dismissed by the Labour administration, whose budget was approved by 11 votes to ten.