A second council scrutiny committee has called for a lower council tax rise to be considered before the final setting of next year’s budget.

Members of the schools and learning overview and scrutiny committee gave its support to the directorates ‘bids for growth’ that will be considered during the 2021-22 budget setting process over the coming weeks.

The majority also backed asking the administration to look further at reducing council tax “exposure or pain” to the 56 per cent of the population in Pembrokeshire that pay the full amount, as proposed by chairman Clr. John Davies.

The education directorate has put forward a £5million bid for growth for individual school budgets to ensure staffing in schools is maintained at “current levels of school budgets.”

It would also be to improve learning and teaching with the aim of all teaching and leadership to be found as ‘good’ at inspection.

Another £1million is asked for to ensure that no school in Pembrokeshire is “causing concern” as well as upgrading the school psychologist post in order to fill vacancies, with the committee being told Pembrokeshire pays “significantly less” than any other Welsh authority.

Cost reductions and efficacies put forward for the directorate include a restructure of school staff that could see a reduction of 100 teachers, saving £3.4million, but is given a 10 per cent likelihood of achievement.

Others savings put forward include changes to peripatetic music and sports staff, youth redundancies, loss of a Haverfordwest Community Learning Centre caretaker and staff training, It equipment, software and sports equipment, inclusion budgets and staff reductions internally.

A reduction in council tax would reduce council income and impact the education bids for growth with the possible use of reserves leaving “the next administration with a very large hole and nothing to fill it,” said Clr. Mike Evans.

Clr. Vic Dennis added that times were also hard for the most vulnerable people in the county and “they are the people we need to support.”

Budget discussion will continue until a final decision is made at full council in March.