Breaking news: Argyll councillors vote for double digit council tax hike

Authority officers had recommended an increase of just over six per cent as part of the budget-setting process for 2024/25, but the council’s ruling Argyll, Lomond and Islands Group (TALIG) – made up of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and some independent councillors – moved a 10 per cent hike, which it had warned last month was a possibility.

An amendment by the Strategic Opposition Partnership – made up of SNP, Labour and some other independent councillors – would have seen council tax frozen, in line with first minister Humza Yousaf’s pledge at the SNP’s national conference in October.

The council set its budget at a full meeting earlier today, Thursday.

In putting forward the TALIG budget motion, council leader, Kintyre and the Islands Liberal Democrat Councillor Robin Currie, said: “This is the most difficult budget this council has ever faced. The word ‘challenging’ is all too often used, but this council’s task goes far beyond that.

“We have taken the bold step of confirming the need to increase council tax by 10 per cent as forecast, because without this, we would have no hope whatsoever of filling the massive £30million hole in our capital investment programme.

“This [capital investment programme] is the budget that covers roads, bridges, regenerational projects, keeping our schools going. This all helps to safeguard that, as well as jobs. Without this [the council tax increase] all of these would be at risk.

“This was a very hard decision, but those are also hard facts. It is a choice we have made after very careful consideration, not just because of the financial position, but because of the impact on households.”

Argyll and Bute Council’s depute leader, councillor Gary Mulvaney, a Conservative councillor for the Helensburgh Central ward, added: “We have thought long and hard about this [council tax increase] but going along with the ill-thought-out freeze is too risky for today and tomorrow.

“It means that instead we can save services and jobs, and there is virtually no impact on core services and no job losses.

“This delivers three key aspects for Argyll and Bute. It protects services, it helps with the £30m gap in the capital programme, and helps to manage a very challenging budget gap in future years.

“Next year the council tax increase will have brought our deficit down by £3m.

“We must look after this year, but we must also take account of the longer term.

“The opposition budget has all the longevity of an SNP WhatsApp.”

The Leader of the Strategic Opposition Partnership, Oban SNP councillor Jim Lynch, said: “Today the opposition presented a competent budget which entirely avoided the need to increase council tax. There is no doubt that we are in a challenging financial position but the decision to place that burden on households across Argyll & Bute is a wholly political and avoidable one."

Independent Councillor for Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands, Dougie Philand, added: “It is abundantly clear that the current administration is tone deaf to the financial challenges faced by local people. These Councillors now have to face the people of Argyll and Bute in their own communities and explain why they chose not to follow advice from either our senior officers or the Scottish Government, by hiking the council tax by this totally unacceptable level.”