Council budgets set in Dundee and Angus
The two local authorities have agreed their spending plans
Angus residents are being faced with an 11% council tax rise, and in Dundee, and 8% hike has been agreed.
The two local authorities set out their spending plans today.
Angus Council leader Bill Duff has described this year’s proposals as the “most challenging” budget he has seen in over a decade.
The council tax rise is the highest increase in the Tayside and Fife area.
In a budget briefing earlier this week, it was also announced parking metres in Angus will be permanently removed as well as a £1m Angus infrastructure fund to unlock £20m of borrowing power.
Dundee budget will save almost £5m
The Dundee SNP administration’s budget proposals were voted through at a meeting held on Thursday.
It means a council tax hike of 8% for those living in the city.
The approved budget will result in a series of cuts the administration says will save the city almost £5 million.
This includes leasing floor areas in Dundee House and other buildings across the city on a commercial basis, cutting the money allocated to secondary schools in the city by 1%, reducing funding for Dundee Science Centre, Dundee Contemporary Arts and Dundee Rep and scrapping the small skip service.
Proposals to cut the frequency of bin collections and close school pools will not be going ahead.
And Leisure and Culture Dundee will receive £50,000 to support the continued opening of Broughty Castle on a reduced-hours basis.
SNP councillors lay the blame on the UK government’s “bombshell” national insurance hike.
Council leader Mark Flynn said: “We’ve got an employers national insurance, a complete tax on jobs.
“That’s £7m added to the budget.
“I think that’s absolutely despicable and thought out extremely badly.”
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