THE NINE-YEAR national council tax freeze ends this year and local authorities are free to raise the basic rate by up to three per cent, as Argyll and Bute Council plans to do on February 23 to plug a £6 million budget gap.
Argyll and Bute is not alone. All 32 of Scotland’s councils will set their budgets by March 2 and already Western Isles, Shetland, Moray, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Borders and East Renfrewshire have agreed three per cent increases. Six more councils, including Highland and Inverclyde, will decide on Thursday too. Bills are going up regardless, after MSPs voted to increase the multiplier for the top four bands E-H. We are all being squeezed, but let’s hope this helps councils save vital services.\