Council tax rise of 5% approved in Aberdeen
- Published
Protests were held by community groups ahead of the meeting
A council tax rise of 5% has been approved in Aberdeen after the local authority's budget meeting.
While officials had recommended a 10% council tax rise, the SNP/Lib Dem administration proposed the 5% increase to generate an additional £6.5m.
The administration partnership motion passed with 24 votes ahead of a Labour amendment on 12 votes, and seven abstentions.
Band D will go to £1,489.55 per year - up from £1,418.62.
Meanwhile in Moray, councillors also agreed a 5% rise in council tax, putting a band D property up to £1,430.69.
Protests by community groups were held outside Aberdeen's Town House ahead of the meeting.
A motion by Labour councillor Tauqeer Malik as the meeting began to allow deputations to be heard was defeated, 24 votes to 18.
SNP councillor Alexander McLellan told the meeting the £1.6m Fairer Aberdeen Fund - which was set up to tackle poverty and deprivation across the city - would remain in place if the administration's budget was passed.
A 10% council tax rise had been recommended
It had been feared the fund could close.
Big Noise Torry - a music project run by Sistema Scotland in one of Aberdeen's more deprived areas - lost its funding, after the same thing happened to a sister programme in Dundee last month.
The Aberdeen project was launched in 2015 and cost up to £1m a year, with about 75% paid by the local authority.
The council co-leader, Lib Dem Ian Yuill, said the administration budget was aimed at "mitigating poverty and supporting communities".
He said it was amid "difficult and challenging" times.
Aberdeenshire councillors voted for a 4% increase in council tax last month - the first of Scotland's 32 councils to agree on a figure.
Orkney agreed a 10% rise, with Shetland at 4.5%.
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