A council tax freeze across all bands has been confirmed in the budget for the next financial year.
The Labour/SNP administration’s plans will provide £2.86 million to improve school IT and broadband, protect teacher numbers and ensure no job cuts in the local authority.
In addition, £2.4 million will be invested in road repairs over three years, more than £1 million to support the economy and the creation of more than 120 jobs placements across key services such as social care.
Council leader Elaine Murray said: “We’re accepting the funding from the Scottish Government to freeze council tax.
“It would be foolish to do anything else as the first three per cent of any rise would have to be returned to the Scottish Government and I doubt the people of Dumfries and Galloway – whatever their political inclination – would want that.”
A two hour debate followed as both sides put their cases forward for their own budgets.
Depute leader of the council, Rob Davidson, said: “Our budget freezes council tax and focuses on economic recovery from the pandemic.
“Many factors remain uncertain therefore we propose a flexible approach led by committees where proposals and resources can be allocated when they need to.”
Before the vote on the budget the Conservative group leader Ian Carruthers said: “There are only two major differences in the budgets, really.
“That is, we’ve made it clear the Whitesands is off the agenda and we need higher levels of investment of trunk roads.
“But it (a vote) is a numbers thing if we face up to facts.
“We knew pretty much before we came into the meeting what the probability of the outcome would be.”
The administration budget was voted through by 24 votes to 16. Council leader Elaine Murray appealed for everyone in the council to come together for the good of the region to beat the coronavirus.
Dr Murray said: “This isn’t about us imposing our will on anyone, this is about us as a council developing policies together.
“Let’s work for the betterment of Dumfries and Galloway and the social and economic recovery of our people after this terrible pandemic.”
