Budget deal for local councils is fair, insists Finance Secretary
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes insisted the cash settlement for local councils is fair (PA)
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has insisted the cash settlement for councils in next year’s Budget is fair – despite claims that she is “short-changing” local government.
Ms Forbes was pressed on the issue after local government body Cosla claimed councils are not getting enough cash to fully fund the Scottish Government’s public pay policy.
Cosla resources spokeswoman Gail Macgregor also warned that if the additional money authorities will receive is not maintained, Scots could be facing a council tax hike of 6% in 2022-23.
SCOTS could face council tax hikes of 6 per cent in 2022 after Finance Secretary Kate Forbes offered authorities £90 million to freeze the charge in the forthcoming financial year, MSPs have been warned. Gail Macgregor, resources spokeswoman for local government body Cosla, also said staffing cuts may have to be made if councils do not get more cash to fund a pay increase for workers. In her draft Scottish Budget unveiled at Holyrood last week, Forbes promised councils would receive an overall funding package of £11.6 billion for 2021-22. She said freezing council tax this year will help provide “financial reassurance to families who are struggling”.