By Bruce Fegen

COUNCIL TAX bills in Fife will rise by 3.45% from April, one of the lowest rises in Scotland, the local authority confirmed after a marathon budget meeting in Glenrothes yesterday.

The increase equates to £35 for the average Band D property, taking the levy to £1050, and is bang in line with the ruling Labour administration’s forecast last year. At the bottom end of the scale, Band A householders will be charged £700 (up £23.33), while properties in the most expensive Band H will pay £2100 (up £70).

Indicative figures for next year are for a rise of between 3.5% and 5%, which would add between £36 and £52 to the mean charge.

Rent rises averaging £2.07 a week for 2005/6, an increase of 5%, were also agreed.

Voted through after a debate lasting almost three hours (see separate story), Labour’s budget will see £660 million spent during 2005/6. This includes an investment of £7.8 million in such things as social work, making schools more inclusive, care homes and street lighting and is funded almost entirely through efficiency savings.

The most controversial of these is a reduction of 45 teaching posts. Labour argued that they are not needed because of falling school rolls and increased classroom support but the move was opposed by the SNP who said it was a chance to improve attainment levels in schools.

As part of the budget, capital spending of £38.8 million, including almost £3.5 million to extend the Ferrytoll park and ride, £900,000 to integrate council facilities and £800,000 to improve town centres, was approved and after a break for lunch, a housing budget of £78.7 million (the rent rise is 1.4% less than last year) was also passed.

Moving the council tax proposal, administration leader Anne McGovern said, “We promised it would not rise by more than 3.5% and it’s a promise kept.”

Savings in a number of areas, such as improved council tax collection, reducing the cost of consultants, cutting the number of meetings, reducing energy costs and absenteeism and reducing the mileage allowance paid to staff and councillors to the Inland Revenue rates, were put forward by the Liberal Democrats as they moved a 3% increase (£30).

Their budget also allowed for increased spending on items such as school maintenance, replacing lighting columns, energy saving schemes and free parking in town centres on Saturdays.

Mover Tim Brett said, “What council taxpayers require is to see efficient local services and we need to review whether our present arrangements are the best way of achieving this. We believe that council taxpayers funding could be better used if it is devolved more closely to areas of service delivery.”

As well as keeping the 45 teaching posts, the SNP’s budget (2.6% increase, £26) called for measures such as reinstating the bulk uplift, establishing a school repair fund and pilot school wardens project and increased staffing in the local office network.

This would be paid for through a raft of savings, including reducing councillors’ special responsibility allowances, capital charges, social work and overtime.

Mover David Alexander described the Labour budget as “desperate” and described the reduction in teachers as “a betrayal” of children and parents.

The Independents identified savings of £9.6 million through efficiencies every council service has been ordered to make and increased spending of almost £7 million, largely in line with Labour’s proposals, as part of their proposals, which would have resulted in rise of 2.95% (£30).

But they also said that further growth of over £1 million was possible and proposed investing money in parks, increasing council apprenticeships, training managers to reduce the cost of consultants and night patrols to reduce school vandalism.

The Conservative plans would have resulted in a 0% council tax increase and leader Stuart Randall said Labour’s proposals would place “an intolerable” strain on the household with fixed incomes.

He attacked a continuing growth in the council’s workforce and suggested that almost £4 million of additional efficiency savings could be made.

A further £2 million would come from withdrawing from COSLA and savings on residential care placements, while £620,000 would be spent cracking down on fly-tipping which he suspected would arise from ending the free bulky refuse collections.

The Tories asked the other parties to join forces in voting through a budget which resulted in a council tax rise of no more than inflation but found little support.