This was the budget setting meeting and the last of the council before the May elections. Raising council tax by 4.99 per cent was soundly supported by the Tory majority despite good proposals by the independents, and a thoroughly well-researched set of amendments by Cllr Brodie, which would have kept the rise to 1.99 per cent. Cllr Love made an excellent point that council members should have been working together well before the budget meeting and have brought a collective proposal to the table. Cllr Garrett highlighted the lack of consensus in the current council, and the inability of members to work together across existing parties.