Saturday February 22nd 2025
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A former leader of Scottish Borders Council launched a scathing attack on a fellow councillor after she expressed her opposition to a 10 per cent Council Tax hike.
All but one elected member in the council chamber supported the increase at a meeting of full council this week.
But Councillor Julie Pirone, who represents Tweeddale East for the Conservatives, expressed her opposition, while accepting that she was a “lone voice”.
Her view was ridiculed by ex-leader Councillor David Parker, who represents Leaderdale & Melrose as an independent, as he labelled her stance as “politcal grand-standing for her own selfish political gain”.
Councillor Pirone said: “After careful consideration and listening to my conscience, I have to say I am against this increase.
“My colleagues know that, they know it very well, but they have chosen to ignore my views. But I accept today that in my group I am a lone voice.
“I believe we are letting our constituents down, forcing on them an extra cost that many will struggle to pay.
“This was made worse for me when I read the results of our survey in which over 52 per cent of the people in the Borders who took part were opposed or strongly opposed to the rise of 10 per cent. I am not sure that is consultation.
“I do believe a Council Tax rise under 10 per cent would have served our constituents better. I believe we can not keep asking the public to pay especially when some of them believe and can see they are not getting the service they expect from us, especially on waste and bin collection.”
Mr Parker responded: “Of course nobody wants a 10 per cent Council Tax rise and the truth is I could have come to the chamber today and proposed a five per cent Council Tax rise and I could have paid for it.
“But that would have meant reducing the number of teachers we employ, reducing the number of care staff and cutting care hours. It would have meant cuts in the road budget and closing of services.
“Now I hate politicians of any political party who grand-stand on budget day and when Julie Pirone said in this chamber today she wanted to inject some honesty, then actually Julie you have not been honest.
“To take the attitude that ‘a big boy did this Council Tax rise and its wasnae me’ is a disgraceful attitude when we had such political unanimity.
“You know Julie that if you wanted to cut the Council Tax you could come here today and said Council Tax should be eight per cent and this is how I would pay for it, that would be honesty, not political grand-standing for your own selfish political gains.”
Tweet Share on Facebook
