A failed last minute attempt to freeze council tax was the only bone of contention as East Ayrshire Council agreed to a consensus budget ahead of May's local elections.
The majority of the £6m in cuts required to balance the books will come via changes to the way services are delivered.
At the same time the authority will invest £6m in a massive scheme creating 200 apprenticeships.
Rubbish Party Councillor Sally Cogley, together with newly independent Councillor Ian Grant, proposed that the suggested three per cent increase in council tax be scrapped and the £1.8m shortfall made using reserves.
Cllr Cogley said: "Any increase in council tax impact disproportionately on the less well off and we shouldn't be increasing this cost."
However, Council Leader Douglas Reid countered that eating into reserves would end up creating problems for the likes of the school building programme.
Cllr Cogley and Grant failed to secure the support of any other councillors meaning a three percent increase was agreed.
The local authority's budget of around £370m is £16m higher than 2021/22, but largely because of additional one-off covid related funding.
Council tax will increase for only the second time since 2007. This has reduced the gap between income and spend from nearly £8m to £6m.
Budget highlights
- Three per cent increase in council tax (Band D increase to £1,416.61)
- House, garage and lock-up rent levels to increase by 1.5 per cent
- Fees and charges set by council to be held at 2020/21 levels
- £6m to be found in savings and efficiencies (£2.07m relating to ‘workforce planning’ and £2.67m to be saved in health and social care)
- Service fees and charges would stay at current levels, other than those set nationally or by partner agencies.
- Half of the £12m East Ayrshire Council's covid recovery funding will go on 200 apprenticeships.
- £440,000 to support the health and wellbeing of young people across East Ayrshire
- £800,000 for net zero carbon plan
- £57,000 for a permanent violence against women lead officer
Council Leader Douglas Reid told the meeting of the council: "I am proud of today's budget and that the collaboration between our political parties have produced this budget, a budget that can actually deliver change in our communities.
"Using balances right now, as suggested by the deputy provost would, in terms of our capital programme, put [our capital programme] at risk, from building schools being built at the north west of Kilmarnock to the Doon Campus."
He also responded to the proposal to freeze council tax, arguing: "I am not prepared to risk that at this stage. I am not prepared to risk the transformation strategy that has brought us through this process without compulsory redundancies.
"Other councils have done that in the past. They now wish they were in the position I am in being able to consider the long term.
"We are looking at 200 young people with jobs and real training at the end of it. It is something we can all be proud of."
Labour group leader Cllr John McGhee, backed the proposals, but fired a broadside at the Scottish Government.
He said: "The grim reality is that the SNP have presided over a decade of underinvestment in local councils.
"The creation of 200 jobs and training places through investment is a huge positive for our communities and young people."
Conservative group leader Councillor Tom Cook, who is stepping down in May, said: "This year we find ourselves in a strange place when it comes to setting a budget, with the impact of non-recurring covid recovery money making the situation appear better than it actually is.
"Difficult choices have had to be made. While I understand the pressure households are under and would have liked to see no increase in council tax, a below inflation three percent increase is reasonable.
"To freeze council tax would have meant find additional £1.8m in cuts, cuts that would have a severe impact on services and service users.
There are clear warnings about the never-ending tightening of belts, with next year’s budget gap estimated at £18m, rising to £57m over the next five years.
Chief financial officer Joe McLachlan told councillors at Thursday's meeting: “Building the 2022/23 budget has been an extremely challenging task for a number of reasons.
“It is a budget where volatility and uncertainty looms large over the council’s financial plan for next year and beyond.”
The council’s share of the additional £120m in one-off funding is £2.805m. In the budget proposal, £1m will be kept for contract price increases, £671,000 to support education redesign, and £50,000 for changes to secondary schools lunches.
It will provide most of a £1m net zero carbon action plan with the remaining £440,000 spent to support the health and wellbeing of young people through free and discounted access to a range of facilities, events, workshops, activities and clubs.
Almost half of the £6m will remain to be considered by the East Ayrshire health and social care partnership board before the financial year ends.
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