Council tax to rise 6.95% for Wrexham householders

The increase will cost Band D householders about £85 annually in Wrexham

Councillors have clashed over a 6.95% council tax increase in Wrexham.

The authority's ruling Independent-Conservative group blamed the increase - costing band D householders £85 - on its Welsh Government handout.

But Labour opposition councillors said the money was allocated using a formula agreed by Wales' 22 councils.

Group leader Dana Davies also slammed an overspend of £8m on children's social services in Wrexham which she said had contributed to the tax hike.

The department's performance is currently rated as "inadequate" after Care Inspectorate Wales raised concerns over the safeguarding of children in the county, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"What this overspend actually means is that the taxpayers of Wrexham are having to pay for this £8m failure at a time where families are trying to keep a roof over their head," said Mrs Davies.

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"As a matter of principle and for these reasons, the Labour group cannot support this budget."

Wrexham's budget for the upcoming financial year amounts to almost £260m, including an extra £3.5m earmarked to go into social care to address inspectors' concerns.

Executive board members in the ruling administration repeatedly criticised the Labour-run Welsh Government for handing the authority a settlement uplift of 2.3% for 2021-22 - the second lowest in Wales, according to figures.

Conservative Andrew Atkinson, the council's lead member for children's services, said: "Some of the language that was used about the service and the way that those words like 'failures' were used, I don't think that's acceptable."

Independent council leader Mark Pritchard said opposing the budget meant "you don't want to invest in education in schools".

Plaid Cymru leader Marc Jones said his group was concerned about the tax rise, but supported it in recognition of the extra money going into children's services.

The budget was approved by 35 votes to 11 during Wednesday's council meeting.