Council Tax increase set to 4 per cent for Aberdeenshire
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A full meeting of council on Thursday has set the Council tax banding for financial year 2023/24.
Aberdeenshire Council has a legal duty to set its Council Tax by March 11 each year, and in so doing must consider all the available financial information at that time.
Each Council sets the rate that applies in their local authority area and are responsible for the administration and collection of the tax and all Councils set the Band D rate for their local authority area, with the charges for properties in other bands being a fixed proportion of that Band D charge.
Officers used a 3 per cent increase as a working assumption when developing the General Revenue Budget but the Scottish Government has removed a level increase bar and higher levels may be decided on.
With this in mind, the ruling coalition lead by council leader Mark Findlater moved for the increase to be set at 4 per cent, while the opposition lead by councillor Gwyneth Petrie argued that a 6 per cent increase was required to enable continued provision of services.
Cllr Petrie (SNP) said:“We fully understand how difficult the cost of living crisis is for our constituents just now and so we realise that any rise will be hard for some.
"That is why we plan to outline proposals to help those specifically struggling with a council tax increase, where they are not covered by any of the exemptions.
“Everything we do now costs more and so, despite an increase in our grant from the Scottish Government, it simply doesn’t cover what the council has previously delivered.
“For those in Band D properties, the 6 per cent would have meant a weekly increase of £1.55, and overall this percentage would have added a further £4.6 million to the council’s budget.
"This would have allowed us to avoid some of the deepest frontline cuts, ensuring we can continue to deliver on our priorities."
Cllr Alison Evison (Ind), seconding the amendment added:“We have a responsibility to do what we can to reduce the pressures on essential services.
"What we can do is very limited, but it is our communities across Aberdeenshire which will suffer if we cannot deliver on the broad well-being agenda and continue the work to tackle poverties and inequalities."
The vote was made 42 to 22 in favour of the motion with one abstention.
Setting the Council Tax below or above the 3 per cent working assumption will necessitate a review of the savings and efficiencies required to be identified or reserves to be released as part of the budget setting in March.
The changes to the Council Tax income are as follows for Band D -
Band D (Property value £45,001 to £58,000)
Currently - £1339.83 (water is not included) at 4 per cent will rise to £1393.42
For all Bands a 4 per cent increase would equate as follows -
Band A £893.22 to £928.95
Band B £1042.09 to £1083.77.
Band C £1190.96 to £1238.60
Band D £1339.83 to £1393.42.
Band E £1760.39 to £1830.81.
Band F £2177.22 to £2264.31.
Band G £2623.83 to £2728.78.
Band H £3282.58 to £3413.88.
Council Tax is not a charge for services used by any individual.
The money raised contributes directly to the delivery of local public services provided by the Council and all Council Tax raised in Aberdeenshire is spent in Aberdeenshire.
