Glasgow plans to raise council tax by 7.5% to fund street cleaning, road repairs, and expand free school meals.
SNP and Green councillors agreed on a plan and will vote on it soon. The City Treasurer spoke about funding issues, stating that austerity hurt frontline services.
The budget includes £1.5m for street cleaning staff and an extra £20 million for road upkeep. This will fix roads, lanes and pavements, while parks and spaces also benefit.
Each ward will get Neighbourhood Clean Teams, costing £2.3 million, to deal with local issues fast. Flytipping will be addressed quickly.
Free school meals expand to P6 pupils, with P7 pupils possibly included next year. The City Treasurer said this budget helps Glasgow and invests in vital services.
He noted ongoing financial challenges, adding that the Scottish Government helped this year. Difficult savings are no longer needed, so they can now invest in neighborhoods.
Austerity had a negative impact, and available cash will increase staff. The aim is to add about 200 cleansing workers.
Staff will focus on high-impact areas, and Neighbourhood Teams will respond quickly. Money from the tax increase is earmarked to fund frontline services directly.
The Treasurer thanked the Green colleagues for working together on the budget. They put the city first, above party lines, and the budget provides stability, he stated.