Ceredigion faces extra council tax rise to protect schools

Higher pay and pensions are putting pressure on school budgets, the council leader said

School budgets in Ceredigion will be protected by an extra 2% rise in council tax, the council leader says.

Ellen ap Gwynn put the idea to the cabinet following feedback on the initial plan for a 5% increase.

She said a rise of 7% would generate an extra £668,000 which would keep school budgets at a "standstill", amid higher teachers' pay and pensions.

Ceredigion faces finding another £6m of savings next year, the leader added, on top of £39m cut in recent years.

Ms ap Gwynn criticised the level of funding from UK and Welsh governments, saying previous cuts had resulted in the loss of more than 700 jobs, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

Ceredigion is one of nine Welsh county councils getting a cash increase in Welsh Government funding, but its settlement of 0.3% is still below the rate of inflation.

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The Plaid Cymru council leader told the cabinet on Tuesday that without the extra 2% rise in council tax, schools already dealing with cutbacks and redundancies may have to lose even more teachers.

"I live in hope that there will be something brought forward to assist us, both the general situation of the county, not just the county council, but the economy in general," Ms ap Gwynn added.

The final decision on the council's draft budget and recommendation of a 7% council tax increase will be made to the full council later this month.