Moray Council votes in favour of 10% tax rise

Councillors in Moray have given the go ahead to a double-digit council tax rise.

The 10% increase had been recommended by officials ahead of the budget meeting in Elgin.

Members of the authority voted 16-7 in favour of the proposals, which included £4.5m of savings, most of which had already been agreed.

It means residents in a band D property will see their bill increase to just over £1,731.

Labour councillors also proposed a 10% increase, while the largest opposition group, the SNP, wanted the rise to be pegged at 9.3% which it said would save Moray residents about £2m over two years.

A 10% council tax rise was recommended by officials, who warned that a 1% drop in that figure would equate to cuts of a further £575,000.

The opposition SNP group proposed a slightly lower rise - as well as increasing income by using the council's powers to impose a levy on second homes and empty properties.

In their defeated amendment Labour councillors also argued for a 10% rise and called for a cut for parking charges in Elgin town centre as well as a new civic pride fund to help clean up Moray's streets.

They said that could have been paid for by cutting councillors' expenses.