Responding to Orkney Council’s decision to raise council tax by 15%, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said:
“If this decision is ratified by the full Council, this extraordinary council tax hike will hit households right across Orkney.
“On top of increasing energy costs and the built in costs from inflation, this will leave many families– some of whom are already extremely vulnerable - struggling to pay their bills.
“I recognise the real pressures successive Scottish Government funding squeezes have put on our local authorities, but council tax payers are not seeing their wages or their incomes increase by 15%, so this will leave them far worse off.
“The 11% increase recommended by council officials is already higher than many other councils, including Shetland where a 10% increase has been agreed. But the 15% hike tabled by the Scottish Greens will be unmanageable for many.
“I hope councillors will listen to their constituents, recognise the real anger and concern this will cause, and think again”.
Highland Council is proposing a 7% increase in Council Tax for 2025/2026. Across Scotland the impact of 18 years of repeated SNP decisions to underfund councils has been causing crisis after crisis.