Ceredigion County Council’s Chief Executive has clashed with leader of the independents over a planned near 10 per cent hike in council tax bills from April.

Cllr Rhodri Davies, who represents Llangeitho, told a scrutiny committee on Monday that a 9.9 per cent increase was “not acceptable to us or the residents of Ceredigion,” adding: “You speak to any residents, things are difficult out there.”

He added: “We, as an independent group, we’ve sent a letter for you to consider – a 10 per cent increase in council tax would not be acceptable – with a proposal of reducing costs; if you run a business if you’re not making a profit then you have to look at costs.”

He told the Overview & Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee that the Independents group was calling for a council tax rise of some six per cent, with a look at staffing costs of higher-paid members of the authority over £45,000 as part of a way of addressing that difference¸ telling members that more than 60 per cent of the budget was spent on staff.

Chief Executive Eifion Evans reacted to Cllr Evans’ proposal saying management numbers had shrank at the authority over the years, asking him: “What services do you want to end?,” adding: “You cannot just turn around and say ‘cut the staff,’ that is not your role, you have to tell us what services you would like to cut.”

The committee was told the proposed increase was expected to see no additional cuts in services, the council expecting to reach the end of the current financial year with no overspend, thanks to some late grants

A final report on council tax proposals will come before Cabinet later this month ahead of a full council decision on the next financial year’s budget on 3 March.

At Ceredigion County Council’s January Cabinet meeting, members received a report on the 2025-’26 revenue budget, which included estimated revenue cost pressures being faced by the Council of £11.8m for ‘25/26.

Members heard the council budget requirement for ’25-’26 is £209.109m, or £209.234m, depending on a level of investment in the Planning Enforcement Service.

It is proposed the council sees a £346k investment in the Planning Enforcement Service and a £481k investment in the Waste Collection Service.

It said the £11.8m cost pressures, with the previously-agreed increase in second homes premiums to 150 per cent providing an estimated £1.1m benefit, along with potential budget cuts of just under £1.1m would leave a shortfall of £2.5-£2.6m at a five per cent council tax increase, requiring an increase on that by a further 4.7 to 4.9 per cent increase.

One cost increase on its own is Mid & West Wales Fire Authority’s proposed budget increase of £301,000.

The county council element alone for the average Band D Council Tax level in Ceredigion, excluding the police precept and community council part amounts to £1,726.05.