The final approval has been given to Pembrokeshire’s draft budget and council tax rise despite a call from one member to “not be afraid to throw it out.”

Former Pembrokeshire County Council leader Cllr Jamie Adams said there were “different ways to square this circle, better opportunities to reduce the cost of services in this county than simply asking the tax payer for more money.”

He said more could be saved by looking at buildings owned by the authority and questioned the efficiency of the ‘smarter working’ scheme within County Hall.

A funding gap of £20million will be bridged by the 2019/20 draft budget and an increase in council tax of £1.89 a week for band D properties – around 9.9 per cent or £98.55 a year.

Cuts and reductions in services will also be made with work on a service prioritisation plan to start as soon as next week, the cabinet member for finance Cllr Bob Kilmister said on Thursday (February 21).

This includes scrapping customer contact centres for a different way of providing the services.

Cllr Phil Kidney said this risked “disenfranchising” many residents.

Another former leader, Cllr John Davies, also said he didn’t back the budget over concerns over council tax increase impacts on residents.

He said the current administration had increased taxes more in two years than the previous administration did in a decade.

Cllr Davies added that income was underestimated by £11million last year and that this budget was “increasing the council’s capacity to spend in terms of revenue.”

More money will be given for school improvement, Cllr Kilmister said, through four eduction projects – £100,000 for raising standards at key stage three and four; £300,000 for supporting significant improvements in secondary schools; £100,000 for IT and LSA equipment and supporting pupils eligible for free school meals will get £100,000 funding.

He hit back at Cllr Davies’ claims that income estimates could be increased and that choosing a reduced council tax option did not mean extra funding for schools would be lost.

“Your’re asking me to put income in that we don’t know we will receive,

“We can only budget on the information we have and to do anything else is sheer and utter recklessness,” said Cllr Kilmister.

After nearly a two hour debate, which included side-swipes at previous administrations’ handling of situations such as house building and other assets, the councillors voted in favour of the budget including a council tax rise.

There were 21 votes against, the majority of which were from independent plus group and Conservative group members, and 37 for the draft budget.