Council tax 4.84 per cent increase agreed
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Highland Council has agreed what it has dubbed its “road to recovery” budget that includes a 4.84 per cent rise in council tax.
That hike in tax allows the council to borrow £20 million of additional investment in roads while also allowing the local authority to balance its budget.
The cash will be spent on capital schemes to repair roads, buy new and more efficient machinery and it will also allow the council to increase its road maintenance budget year-on-year.
The council has an extra £7.5 million to provide existing services this year, of that £3 million came from the government settlement and the rest from the Holyrood budget deal secured by the Greens and the SNP
Though welcomed, there was a sting in the tail because capital funding from the government fell sharply from almost £38 million last year to £25 million this year.
Despite opposition SNP and Conservatives groups complaining about a lack of consultation on the budget proposals a number of significant changes were made.
Both parties tabled a number of proposals and four of them coincided.
The first sought to maintain the budgets for core paths, countryside facilities, bus shelter cleaning and schools having to pay for the staff leave that was not taken.
The council also agreed to two major SNP projects designed to have a long-term impact on the north.
The so-called “legacy” projects will see a further £500,000 earmarked for rural initiatives that could help develop a sustainable rural transport service.
And £1 million of additional funding will go on a “skills for work charter” which will develop a range of opportunities to retain young people, address poverty and reverse depopulation trends in rural areas.
Budget Leader Cllr Alister Mackinnon said: “This budget is a road to recovery for the council. We need to build our reserves for a sustainable future, make the best use of our resources to transform the council, build our resilience, and make substantial improvement to our roads.
“These are ambitious budget proposals which also seek to invest in people, skills, plant and places for a more sustainable future.”
Council leader Cllr Margaret Davidson said: “The reduction in available capital money is a huge issue for us and will mean we have difficult choices to make, so this investment strategy for our roads will be tremendously important for people in the Highlands.”
Depute leader Cllr Alasdair Christie said: “A budget should not just be numbers on a page but should embody our values – and this budget does just that. I would like to thank members across the chamber for their contribution and support in creating a council budget which drives improvement, provides financial stability, and goes some way to address poverty and rural deprivation, delivering positive outcomes for people in the Highlands.”
