Council tax in Scottish Borders is going up. See the new annual costs per property band after the 10% increase.
East Lothian residents can expect a 10% increase. Other areas are likely to follow suit. North Lanarkshire may see a 10% rise. Edinburgh might have an 8% increase in council tax. Scottish Borders residents will also pay 10% more.
A council leader, Euan Jardine, spoke about the changes. He said raising council tax was a very hard choice. Doing so should protect key local services, he felt.
Investment matters to communities, so they agreed. The Scottish Borders Council are making cuts. They are scrapping the Community Action Team.
It tackles crime, antisocial behavior, and parking. It was a police team funded by the council. Here’s how much Scottish Borders residents will pay per year: Band A is £994.48. Band B is £1160.23. Band C costs £1325.97. Band D costs £1491.72. Band E is £1959.95. Band F is £2424.05. Band G is £2921.29. Band H costs £3654.71.
The council needs to change a lot over the next decade. They face a £69 million shortfall by 2034/35. This requires cuts and big changes to services. The 10% rise means Band D costs £1491.72 annually.
That is around £135.61 extra per year. It is £11.30 more each month, or £2.61 weekly. Council tax rates were frozen before, though. This was done by the former leader, Humza Yousaf.