Pembrokeshire council taxpayers are to see their bills increase by 9.35 per cent after “political tribalism was set aside” - but an alternative lower proposal by the Conservative group was defeated.

Today’s March 6 meeting of full council was to consider three potential increases in council tax, 9.85 per cent previously recommended by Cabinet, a 9.35 per cent rise proposed by the Independent group led by Cllr Huw Murphy, which was later supported by the ruling coalition, and a 7.5 per cent rate proposed by the Conservative group.

The council was to decide the annual budget, which includes the council tax element, on February 20 but that meeting was deferred until March 6, in part awaiting the final Welsh government local government settlement, which saw the county gain a small amount of extra money, worth roughly an extra £500,000, reducing its funding gap to £26.9m.

At the March 6 meeting, Cabinet member for finance Cllr Joshua Beynon moved the Independent-proposed budget be adopted rather than the previous 9.85 per cent council tax rise one, seconded by Independent group member Cllr Alan Dennison.

The 9.35 per cent increase adds £141.25 to the average bill over last year’s rate.

The Conservatives’ alternate budget of 7.5 per cent was proposed by group leader Cllr Di Clements, saying there was a need to make “tough choices” with “a limited pot,” adding last year’s council tax increase of 12.5 per cent was “one of the highest in the UK,” with “a significant rise” again proposed this year.

The Conservative proposals included addressing deficits in council leisure services by partnering with a national leisure trust, along with increasing the education budget by £6.6 million in the next financial year.

Cllr Clements added: “The budget choices will get harder and harder, we believe we cannot keep doing the same thing, slicing services until there is nothing left, that is why we are looking at alternate ways of providing services.”

She was joined by group spokesman for finance Cllr Aled Thomas who said people were “sick and tired of the status quo,” adding: “Taxpayers shouldn’t be burdened with failures of this local authority, whether vanity projects or failures to make efficiency savings; it is the taxpayer that pays for this, we owe it to them to be responsible.”

Cllr Alec Cormack, the former Cabinet member for finance, said he sympathised and supported some elements of the Conservative proposals but felt some parts were “not fully developed,” with “a very serious risk that many of these measures would not really deliver savings in 2025-’26,” adding: “I do not feel this really leads us to a balanced budget”.

After lengthy debate, the Conservative proposal was defeated by 45 votes to 13.

Leader Cllr Jon Harvey quoted from his speech when he was elected leader, saying he was happy to work on cross-party consensus politics, adding: “Cllr Huw Murphy shared a budget proposal, which we’re grateful for, not too dissimilar to the one proposed by Cabinet, considered to be a proposal we could jointly put forward, a pragmatic approach rather than an adversarial approach.”

He told members the 9.35 per cent increase would lead to a county council part of the overall tax bill for the average Band D property would now be £1,651.97 in Pembrokeshire against Ceredigion’s £1,886.57 for the forthcoming financial year.

The final bill is calculated by adding the police precept, set at £360.68 for a Band D property, and individual town and community council precepts.

He warned there were still elements in the budget that were “a risk,” with challenging efficiency savings needed.

The 9.35 per cent rise was backed by 46 members, with 13 against.

Speaking after the meeting, Independent group Leader Cllr Murphy said their supported proposal was “about doing what’s right by our most vulnerable, not doing what’s necessarily popular”.

He reiterated his party being “critical friends to the Administration” who would not “oppose for the sake of opposition,” welcoming the Cabinet support his party’s proposal, where “political tribalism was set aside for the good of our residents,” welcoming it as “progressive and mature politics on a very difficult subject, namely council tax”.

“In life it’s about making the difficult decisions not about making popular decisions that we are measured against.

“No tax rise is welcomed but today was a balance of offering the lowest council tax that was realistically possible versus the services we provide, much of it statutory.”

Cllr Aled Thomas of the Conservative group reacted to the vote, saying: “It’s disappointing that the Independent Group and Cabinet came together today to vote for the continued tax and spend mindset, at the expense of Pembrokeshire residents.

“The Conservative group proposed an ambitious budget with innovative ideas signalling change, and it was great to hear members across the chamber agree that change can’t come quick enough. “Despite today’s result, the Welsh Conservative group will continue to fight for the best value for money for the hardworking Pembrokeshire taxpayers.”