Moray Council agrees council tax freeze

Moray councillors have agreed to freeze council tax for 2024/25 - in line with Scottish government policy.

It is the first time in a decade the local authority has achieved a cross-party budget agreement.

It means the charge for a band D property will remain unchanged at £1,430.69.

Just under £3m in savings were made in the budget - most of which had been agreed prior to the meeting.

A total of £10m from Covid reserves was used to balance the books - something which has been described as a short-term solution.

Using the reserves means the level of savings needed next year increases from £3m to £13m.

Council leader Kathleen Robertson said difficult decisions had to be made and the council would continue to face budget pressures over the next year.