ARGYLL and Bute Council is set to receive more than £213 million from the Scottish Government to fund local services in the new financial year.
But the proposed increase, in percentage terms, is among the smallest in Scotland.
The government announced last week how it plans to provide revenue funding to the country’s 32 local authorities for the 2021-22 financial year.
Argyll and Bute’s slice of the cake will increase from £208.8m to £213.3m – a rise of £4.6m, or 2.2 per cent.
Only Eilean Siar (the Western Isles) will get a smaller increase in percentage terms – of 1.8 per cent – though neighbouring West Dunbartonshire is also in line for a 2.2 per cent increase, as is Glasgow City Council.
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The Scottish Government says Argyll and Bute will also get a share of £259m, to be split among local authorities across the country, “to support ongoing Covid-19 pressures”.
In addition, councils across Scotland will receive extra cash – equivalent to a council tax increase of around 3 per cent – but only if they decide not to impose a council tax rise of their own.
And Argyll and Bute is in line to receive a capital grant – to spend on new-build projects – of £10.3m from central government.
Finance secretary Kate Forbes said: “We need to focus on how we rebuild and renew our country, and the funding I am providing to local authorities reflects the key role that they will continue to play in that journey.”
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