Scottish Conservatives have slammed the SNP government for proposing council tax increases of up 22.5%, with the prospect of many households in Perth and Kinross being hit.
Councillor John Duff and MSPs Murdo Fraser and Liz Smith were reacting to the announcement that the SNP Government have opened up a consultation proposing Council Tax rises of between 7.5% and 22.5% for those living in properties in Bands E to H.
Residents living in Perth and Kinross in Band E would suffer 7.5% rises, those in Band F properties would be hit by 12.5%, Band G residents would see bills rise by 17.5% and those in Band H would see the biggest rises at 22.5%.
Councillor Duff, who is the leader of the Scottish Conservative group in Perth and Kinross, says that the hikes will “terrify” local residents in the region, who are already grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. He says local residents should not be bearing the brunt of the SNP’s failures to properly fund Perth and Kinross Council during their 16 years in office.
Research by the Scottish Conservatives has uncovered how much extra residents in each band in Perth and Kinross would pay as a result and how many households would be affected. Residents living in a current Band E property would pay a whopping £138.32 more over the financial year.
The increases in payment for Band E Council Tax payers’ in Perth and Kinross would affect 12,126 properties.
Commenting, Councillor Duff said: “These bombshell Council Tax rises being proposed by the SNP Government will terrify local residents in Perth and Kinross. Many of them are already grappling with the cost-of-living crisis, so increases of this scale would be a hammer blow to their personal and household finances.
“People across the region should not be bearing the brunt of the SNP failing to give Perth and Kinross Council the resources they have needed year after year.
“Typically, SNP/Green ministers are once again passing the buck to councils like Perth and Kinross to make impossible decisions. On this occasion, it looks as though residents are set to pay the price with a huge hike in their Council Tax bills.
“I know how worried people in Perth and Kinross are by these proposals and I’d urge everyone to make SNP/Green ministers aware of their concerns through their consultation.”
And Murdo Fraser MSP added: “These proposed Council Tax hikes are utterly shocking and will hit many families and individuals in Perth and Kinross. The SNP Government has reduced funding to local authorities for years, depriving councils of vital financial help. Now they propose to hit householders who live in larger properties to pay for their financial incompetence.
“We will oppose these plans at every opportunity.”
And Liz Smith MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ spokesperson on Finance and Local Government, commented: “A total of 632,500 households across Scotland in bands E to H will face eye-watering increases in their Council Tax bills, including many residents in Perth and Kinross. These are the latest proposals in a long line of SNP/Green tax increases imposed on hardworking Scots.”
