4.8% council tax hike on cards in Moray

Council tax payers in Moray should see their bills rise by the maximum 4.8% rate allowed, according to the local authority's financial team.

Moray Council is due to set its budget next Tuesday afternoon.

Ahead of the meeting, a report written by the council's chief financial officer has recommended that councillors approve an 4.8% increase.

Lorraine Paisey warns that the local authority has little alternative.

She writes: "The council’s revenue budget is unsustainable, even in the short term ... Significant further savings are forecast to be required in 2021/22.

"To minimise the level of savings required and avoid breaching the reserves policy, council tax is proposed to be increased by the

maximum permitted by Scottish Government without incurring sanctions."

The council is setting its budget on March 3 – the last day possible if everyone's council tax bills are to be delivered before the end of the financial year.

However, the Westminster Government is not due to decide how much cash it's giving to Holyrood until March 13.

In turn, Holyrood won't have announced how much they will be passing on to local government.

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