North-east councillors have accused the Scottish Government of staging a “smash and grab raid” on council tax payers in the region.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Liberal Democrat group has criticised the proposals to increase council tax rates applied to properties in bands E-H.
Group leader Karen Clark said: “This proposal would see almost half of all households in Aberdeenshire paying more council tax on the specific orders of the Scottish Government.
“The money they pay would then be spent in other council areas, principally in the central belt.
Ms Clark has called for the SNP leader of Aberdeenshire Council, Richard Thomson, to join the fight against the “undemocratic seizure” of the money.
She added: “This centralised levy would be wrong at any time but a smash and grab raid on Aberdeenshire households under current circumstances simply cannot be supported by anyone who puts our residents first.”
A spokesman for Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: “The Liberals are wrong about our local tax proposals – the reality is all local authorities will still retain all council tax they raise in their area, and there will be an additional £100million each year available to spend on improving education.”
Mr Thomson said: “The council tax reforms will make the tax more progressive by leaving lower earners in band A-D houses untouched while raising an additional £100million to improve educational attainment right across Scotland.
“Three quarters of people across the country will end up paying the same or less under these plans.
“Sadly, the Tories have nothing at all to say about the need to target resources at improving attainment amongst pupils from the least well-off backgrounds.
“Meanwhile, the Lib Dems think that the way to get resources to improve schools is through a £500million increase in the basic rate of income tax.
“They should be honest enough to admit that their tax plans would hit the lowest earning households in Aberdeenshire by far the hardest.”