A "WATERSHED" budget was approved at Clackmannanshire Council this week with a three per cent council tax rise.

Unlike in previous years, there were no "salami slicing and cuts" – instead the local authority's ongoing organisational redesign seems to be taking effect, following two years of work.

Introducing the general services revenue and capital budget, council leader Councillor Ellen Forson said that it "marks a watershed between the historic approach to both service delivery and budgeting and that which we aspire to deliver".

She added: "We have recognised over a long period of time that we need to break the cycle of salami slicing and cuts and we are now entering a new phase.

"This is a transitional budget which aims to create capacity and ambitious plans for transformation which allow us to deliver service and financial sustainability."

The meeting on Thursday, February 27, saw more than £126.5million approved for spending on services and funding for third sector organisations was protected.

The three per cent council tax increase is understood to be among the lowest in Scotland so far and is below the maximum allowed 4.84 per cent and is, indeed, less than the originally suggested four per cent.

However, that figure was disputed by Labour's Cllr Dave Clark, who sought support for an amendment in the Kilncraigs chamber.

In proposing, he argued that the SNP administration "obscured" the real rise because it was his view that if brown bin and parking charges are added it is 5.84 per cent for some people, "which must be the highest in Scotland".

He proposed a 2.75 per cent increase instead along with measures to support community-owned halls and more, funded by reducing discretionary funding for the healthcare partnership.

A grilling by SNP Cllr Craig Holden followed and concerns were raised over a lack of business cases for instance.

While some members said they were sympathetic to some of the ideas, Conservative Cllr Martha Benny summed up the feeling from other corners of the chamber when she described the amendment as "badly thought-out".

The 3 per cent increase will result in a Band D council tax of £1,304.63 for the coming financial year.

Agreed on the same day was a rise of 1.5 per cent for rents and lock-up garage charges.

Asked about the council tax rise and on Cllr Clark's claim, the council leader told the Advertiser: "You can manipulate figures to say whatever, but Cllr Holden made the perfect point: If there is any suggestion Clackmannanshire Council raised council tax outwith the allowed ranges then we would have been acting outside the law."

Senior council officers are there to make sure the local authority does act within its limits and had raised no concerns.

Cllr Forson added: "There is a real misunderstanding [around] what council tax is exactly for.

"It makes up a very mall portion of our overall budget.

"The council has inflationary rises just like everybody else does [...] and most of all, the demand for services such as care is just continuing to grow as we get an ageing population."