Aberdeen council tax to go up by 6.8%

Council tax is to rise by 6.8% in Aberdeen.

Officials at the local authority had been recommending an increase of 8.13%.

However, the SNP and Lib Dem administration wanted a lower level than that.

The decision by Aberdeen City Council will mean a typical band D household paying £1,747.

The council's officials had recommended a rise of 8.13%, which itself is lower than the 10% increases agreed last week by both Aberdeenshire and Moray councils.

The administration's budget has set aside £1m for anti-poverty projects, as well as making provision for the council to press ahead with investment in school buildings, including a new community campus in Northfield.

Labour councillors had proposed a 3% tax rise, while the Conservative group wanted 3.5%.

The budget will mean cuts to services, but all three groups have said they were opposed to any compulsory redundancies.

It has already been decided that council tax in Aberdeenshire is to go up by 10%.

Councillors in Moray also backed a 10% increase.

Meanwhile, council tax in Shetland will rise by 7.3%.

A 6% is being proposed in Orkney, which follows a 15% rise last year. A decision will be finalised next week.

The Scottish government said its Budget delivered record funding of almost £15.7bn for local authorities, a real-terms increase of 2%.