A BID by opposition councillors to cut a proposed council tax increase from five per cent to four per cent has been defeated.

Ruling coalition councillors ins­isted ratepayers should pay more to help protect council departments.

Welsh Liberal Democrat council leader Ceredig Davies had urged the council to reconsider the proposed increase after the Welsh Government provided an additional £439,000 to make up for the authority getting the second worst funding settlement in Wales.

However, council leader Ellen ap Gwynn insisted that money was going to be used to help departments meet increased National Insurance costs and that unless ratepayers paid that money, it would have to come from budgets of dep­artments, including schools.

The proposal was also backed by Cllr Paul Hinge, who said: “We’ve lumped on the people of Ceredigion high increases on council tax.

“We have a slight opportunity here to give them a small thank you of one per cent less than we were thinking.

“Because we’ve had this windfall, surely we can show them some compassion.”

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