COUNCIL tax across Worcestershire is set to rise by almost 9 per cent after an eight-hour meeting.
Reform-led Worcestershire County Council approved its 2026-27 budget, with the tax rise from April adding about £145 a year to Band D bills.
The government had previously awarding the authority £59m in emergency support to enable it to avoid effective bankruptcy.
The Lib Dems staged a walk out, but not before they secured £21m in new spending commitments including investment into flooding alleviation, new cycle routes and drainage clearance.
They then called for the leader and deputy leader of the council to resign.
Leader of the Conservative group, Coun Adam Kent said the way the Lib Dems acted was the worst ‘of a political group I have ever seen’.
He added: “Reform could have made enough savings since May 2025 to have stopped this mega tax rise but their election promises to cut waste and reduce taxes now are shown for exactly what they are.
“The conservative group put up a valiant fight but with only 12 out of 57 we just don’t have the numbers.”
Council leader Jo Monk said it was a difficult decision to raise council tax.
She insisted the financial difficulty the council is in was because the previous Tory administration, of which she was a member, kept taxes artificially low.
Councillors voted by 24 to 19 to pass the budget, including the council tax rise, with four councillors abstaining.
