Dumfries and Galloway residents are set to see their council tax rise by three per cent.
Councillors faced with a funding gap of more than £5 million meet on Tuesday to set the budget for the next 12 months.
The Labour/SNP administration plans to do that by raising council tax, closing offices and not filling a number of vacant posts.
But the coalition also plans to increase teacher numbers and introduce a payment for foster families.
Council leader Elaine Murray said: “As we continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic new challenges face local residents and businesses such as the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.
“The administration’s budget proposals recognise the pressure on household budgets while making investments that further support families and communities.”
The council had originally been looking at a £11.7m shortfall for 2022/23 but savings and an additional £3.4m from the Scottish Government saw that drop to around £5m.
A three per cent council tax increase will generate £2.3m.
A number of other cuts have been found to save another £2.7m.
Closing offices is expected to save around £468,000 while not filling 9.6 full-time equivalent posts that will save more than £300,000.
It is also planned to reduce borrowing by more than £1m.
Other proposals include hiring an extra 10 teachers and creating an additional 14 support for learning assistant posts.
There are also plans to reduce the cap on class sizes at small schools from 25 to 19.
With the number of foster carers in the region dropping by more than a quarter over the last decade, it is proposed to introduce a fostering fee of more than £8,000 a year.
The budget document also includes allocating £270,000 to projects in the council’s Net Zero route map, £264,000 towards a Summer of Play programme for kids and nearly £1m extra investment in roads.
A study into replacing bridges in Annan washed away during storms last year will cost £50,000, with £250,000 allocated towards creating an indoor tennis centre in the region.
Depute council leader Rob Davidson, said: “Our budget proposals not only support families and jobs in Dumfries and Galloway, they deliver on local priorities.
“This budget proposes a clear policy decision that takes into account the views of pupils and parents and supports the learning and teaching in small schools with pupil rolls between 19 and 25.
“Our budget also puts more money into road repairs.”
The administration proposal is the only one on the table, with none forthcoming from the Conservatives.
According to the ruling coalition families living in properties rated A to D will receive a Scottish Government grant of £150 towards council tax.
Dr Murray said: “While the Conservative group complain and oppose, the administration is delivering on local priorities.”
Conservative group leader Ian Carruthers said: “Residents across Dumfries and Galloway have been let down by this SNP-Labour administration over the last five
years.
“The onus is not on opposition parties to present budgets, it should be on the ruling parties to step up and support people during this cost-of-living crisis and accelerate our recovery from Covid.
“Voters across our communities will have a clear choice at May’s council elections.
“A fair funding deal with the Scottish Conservatives and councillors focused on local matters or more cuts under the SNP and a Labour Party who are too weak to stand up to the nationalists.”
