Administration backs tax rise

COUNCIL tax will go up by three per cent and the 10 per cent discount on second homes will be removed, Argyll and Bute councillors agreed at their budget meeting.

The Scottish Government ended the nine-year freeze on council tax.

All three budget proposals presented by Councillors Dick Walsh, Sandy Taylor and Michael Breslin supported increasing council tax by three per cent in 2017-18, bringing in an extra £1.239m, and removing the 10 per cent discount on second homes, generating £ 380,000 more.

The change in council tax will mean that Band D increases by £ 35.34 a year, to £1,213.34. In November, MSPs also voted to increase the top four bands of council tax, E, F, G and H, from April, calculated to make £2.306m more for Argyll and Bute Council. The average Band E household will pay £2 per week more than at present, and those in the highest band about £10 a week more.

A further £200,000 is expected through a 0.5 per cent increase in households liable for council tax, plus a further £30,000 council tax income made through landlord penalties. Councillor Dick Walsh said the council tax changes in total would raise ‘an additional £4.2 million to support services and jobs for people in Argyll and Bute’.

The introductory report, presented by head of strategic finance Kirsty Flanagan, stated council tax brought in £41.314m in 2016-17. The changes will raise council tax income levels to £45.476m in 2017/18, £47.066m in 2018/19 and £48.712m in 2019/20.