Aberdeen residents will not face a council tax rise this year – but funding for services and facilities in the city will be slashed.
City councillors voted to accept a Scottish Government grant of £3.3million to freeze council tax at yesterday’s budget day meeting.
The historic freeze will be accompanied this year by £27million of cuts to sports and cultural facilities, and services for vulnerable people.
It was the Liberal Democrat/SNP administration’s first budget since last May’s election, and came against a backdrop of a tight financial settlement, the lowest per person in Scotland.
“It has not been an easy budget – and to say this is like saying that Hitler was not a very nice man,” council leader Kate Dean told councillors.
But the cuts are not to be as severe as had been predicted with a range of proposals, including closing the Beach Leisure Centre and Auchmill Golf Course, not backed by the administration.
The Bon Accord Baths is the only swimming pool to close, with councillor John Stewart stating that every time the pool was used by a citizen, the council subsidised the trip by £11.
Opening times and staffing will be reduced to varying degrees at pools in Dyce, Bridge of Don, Hazlehead, Kincorth and Linksfield, and at the Sheddocksley and Jesmond sports centres.
Adult learning provision will also take a hit across the city, as will care services and funding for voluntary organisations.
Opposition Labour councillors did not move an alternative budget, the first time the main opposition has not done so in Aberdeen in a decade.
The group called for officers to take the budget back for reconsideration and report back in two weeks.
Labour group leader Len Ironside said: “Obviously, if you implement a council tax freeze the level of spending can’t be maintained. Surely you didn’t enter government to slash services and hurt vulnerable people.”
Councillor John Stewart said council tax would need to rise by at least 20% if the council backed Labour’s plans.
The administration’s budget was primarily prepared by resources management convener Kevin Stewart, who warned the city faced bankruptcy if it did not balance the budget.
He said: “What we are doing is putting this city on a firm footing for its financial future. We think long term, not short term.”
Mr Stewart branded Labour’s lack of an alternative budget an “absolute disgrace”.
He said: “I think basically for the rest of the year you are going to have to keep your trap shut because you can’t say how you’re going to pay for anything.”
Meanwhile, permits for car parking will go up 10%, as will on and off-street parking tickets, while Doonies Farm will close, and grass cutting will be discontinued in some areas.