Falkirk Council: Plea to Scottish Government to ditch council tax freeze

Chief Finance Officer Amanda Templeman confirmed to members of Falkirk Council’s executive on Tuesday that they have not yet responded to the request from Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Shona Robison.

They are one of 29 Scottish councils still to say whether they will take up the offer.

Ms Templeman told members that just three of 32 councils in Scotland are setting their council tax in advance of the deadline.

CoSLA – the group that represents local authorities – continues to seek urgent talks with Ms Robison, who is also the Deputy First Minister. They have been pressing the government to allow councils to increase council tax by up to five per cent, without forfeiting £144 million of funding earmarked for the freeze.

The umbrella body argues that the proposed council tax freeze is not fully funded because the core budget has also been cut.

There are also concerns that pay awards still to be made might not be funded by government, which CoSLA says “will endanger local jobs and services”.

The umbrella body was critical of the freeze when first announced, saying it will be hugely damaging to council finances, which are already under pressure.

It was also critical that the announcement was made by First Minister Humza Yousaf with no consultation of local authorities.

The Scottish Government insists that the £144 million on offer does fully fund a council tax freeze, giving councils the equivalent of a five per cent rise.

In a letter to councils, Ms Robinson said: “The cost crisis and high inflation has affected all households, and many have felt the impact of that not only those on the very lowest income, therefore the Scottish Government believes this freeze will provide much needed stability and support.”

She also states: “Any council not agreeing to freeze their council tax will not receive their share of this funding.”

The SNP leader of the council, Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, said that Falkirk, like many other local authorities, “was not in a position to give an indication” of its intentions.

The debate was sparked by Labour councillor Euan Stainbank, who asked if Falkirk Council intended to make its intentions known to the Scottish Government by the Friday deadline.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Stainbank said: “Falkirk Council’s budget meeting will not be held until the February 28 where the budget will be decided by Falkirk’s democratically elected councillors and we cannot give an answer that will pre-empt the outcome of that meeting.

“The Scottish Government budget yet again includes a substantial cut in funding to Falkirk Council, meaning the funding available for their council tax freeze will fall far below 5 per cent. The Scottish Government’s mistimed and undemocratic ultimatum on their unfunded council tax freeze must be taken off the table.”

Independent councillor Robert Spears said he had heard rumours that the administration could be proposing an increase in council tax of 10 per cent and asked if there was any truth in these.

However, MrsMeiklejohn said the administration “at this stage had made no decision with regard to what they would be doing” and no figures have been discussed within the SNP group.

She added: “I think we need to be very careful about spreading rumours as there has been nothing put forward by the administration as yet.

“We are still in our budget negotiations and deliberations.”