Carmarthenshire approves an 8.9% council tax increase to fund public services while facing budget challenges and political clashes.
Spending is almost £35m higher than this year. Every council department will get more money. The leaders wanted a 9.75% tax rise initially, but they lowered it to 8.9% to balance the budget.
Labour councillors criticized the proposed budget. They claim schools overspent, increasing taxes and that taxes are 3.5% higher than necessary.
Plaid councillors disagree with Labour’s claim. They blame national insurance hikes introduced by Labour UK, costs which the council must cover.
The council will receive £25m more from central government. This is a 4.1% increase, however, costs are rising which necessitate a council tax hike. Savings and hiked charges are also necessary.
Alun Lenny said the extra money is not enough and that it won’t maintain services well. He wanted to remind people they need a legal budget, and stated proposed car park fee hikes were shelved due to feedback.
Linda Evans mentioned budget cuts since 2008. She blames low investment from the central government and stated they must act because they have no choice.
Kevin Madge said Labour helped by increasing funds to Wales. He called school overspending “unacceptable” and thinks some schools are protected unfairly, which impacts taxes for all residents.
Martyn Palfreman said the tax hike is still too high. He claimed Labour would improve services with less cost, leading Alex Evans to respond by inviting Labour’s ideas earlier.
Michael Thomas blamed Plaid for mismanagement. He said expensive small schools are in Plaid areas and that they are avoiding hard choices.
Deryk Cundy said Labour couldn’t present alternatives. He wants AI used more, citing procurement issues, while Hazel Evans stated national insurance hurts growth.
Gareth John hoped for agreement, but the opposition blamed leaders. He claims councils need 7.5% more funding to maintain standards.
Darren Price said the funding gap impacts services. Not raising taxes means more cuts, and he asked Labour for ideas on alternative solutions.
Price accused Cundy of lying about opportunities to propose solutions. Cundy responded that meetings did not cover policy deeply.
The new tax rate starts in April. Band D homes will pay £1,745.43, which excludes police and local community charges.