Council tax will rise by almost five per cent in Highlands
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HIGHLAND Council is set to increase council tax by 4.84 per cent.
The local authority says it will support the investment in roads.
It plans to spend an extra £20 million on roads in 2020/21.
The budget proposals were announced by budget leader Alister MacKinnon today.
The council says the extra council tax money will help balance the budget and pay for investing in roads.
It argues, the increase would enable a fund of £20 million for capital schemes and an additional £1.3 million of annual revenue for road maintenance.
Council leader Margaret Davidson said: "This budget is a road to recovery for the council. We need to build our reserves for a sustainable future; invest in redesign in order to transform the council; and make substantial improvement to our roads."
Councillor MacKinnon said: "These are ambitious budget proposals which also seek to invest in people, skills, plant and places. It also provides a platform to invest in local economies and seek match funding opportunities.
"The budget has also been shaped to deliver sustainability for local communities, to fund work to achieve efficiency and improvement, to restructure our services to enable change and address climate change, storm damage and future resilience."
Depute leader Alasdair Christie said: "The investment in our roads network helps keep our communities connected, it is essential for business and crucial for emergency services in the delivery of care. We have listened to our communities and our staff and roads are an area they want investment in."
Budget proposals will be discussed at the council's special meeting on March 5.
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