Council tax in Glasgow to rise as SNP and Greens agree budget
Getty ImagesCouncil tax in Glasgow is set to rise by between 5% and 6%, after the SNP and Greens agreed a deal to pass a budget.
Free school meals are expected to be extended to all children in primary seven and the council also plans to invest in cleansing, including more gully cleaning to prevent flooding.
The city's treasurer, SNP councillor Ricky Bell, confirmed he had reached an agreement with the city's Green group ahead of a meeting on Tuesday to set a budget for 2026/27.
He intends to borrow money - after the Scottish government allowed the council to use its capital grant to pay the cost of borrowing - to help cover a £36.8m spending gap.
Glasgow is facing a homelessness bill, estimated to be around £56m in the coming financial year.
The issue is related to huge demand for accommodation in the city, with around £4.5m per month spent on unsuitable B&Bs or hotels. Around half of the demand for homelessness assistance is from refugees.
The council has sought talks with the UK government over the issue and has also had discussions with the Scottish government.
Bell, the depute leader of the council, said the city's homeless crisis is "not of Glasgow's making" and borrowing would be a "one-year solution to get us through this tricky position."
On the council tax rise, he added the local authority was "very, very conscious that everybody is in a cost of living crisis".
He said that people are working full time or having two or three jobs and still finding it difficult to make ends meet.
The councillor said he wanted to keep any rise below a 6% "ceiling".
Extra money will be put into health and social care services, managed by the integration joint board (IJB), which also faces a difficult budget next month.
