Highland Council Tax Rise Proposed Amidst Financial Pressures

Hey, guess what I was just reading about? Highland Council might raise council tax a lot. It could go up by as much as seven percent this year. They will decide on the exact increase next month. Other councils already plan big increases. Edinburgh wants eight percent, while East Lothian wants ten.

Council tax helps pay for local services like schools, trash pick-up, and road repair. The Highland Council raised it before. They did three percent in 2022. Then, they raised it four percent last year. Funding gaps are a problem for them now.

Finance people are weighing costs. They consider inflation plus infrastructure investments. This won’t help families since energy costs went up this month. People often criticize council tax; the SNP wanted to scrap it back in 2007.

The government will look into council tax again. Finance Secretary Robison will take charge and consult with COSLA. Experts will also give advice, and Robison plans town hall meetings all over Scotland to gather normal folks’ opinions.

One person from Oxfam thinks it’s unfair, calling the system very outdated because home values are thirty years old. While it’s hard to create a better system, we all want good schools and smooth roads, but we don’t want to pay a fortune.

There’s drama happening in the SNP. They may deselect some of their MSPs, and Fergus Ewing, a veteran, could lose out too. He and the author clashed before, but the author respects Fergus’s dedication since he fights for local stuff like A9 upgrades.

Fergus upset some SNP leaders. Will they get revenge on him? If he can’t run for SNP, what happens? Could he run as something else? Maybe independent or join a new party? Or they could all retire together.