TORY group leader and finance portfolio holder, Cllr Aled Davies, is confident that members of the ruling coalition will back a Council Tax hike.

Behind the scenes councillors are unhappy that they face explaining to their electorate another eye-watering rise in the Council Tax, with residents seeing less services.

Budget Seminars with councillors from all groups attending are now being held to explain the proposals and why cuts need to be made

Next year Council Tax is expected to rise by at least five per-cent - with some suggesting it could be as high as 12 per-cent.

This is because £14 million needs to be found for 2019/20 the Council Tax and £41 million over threes years.

Finance portfolio holder and Conservative group leader, Cllr Aled Davies, who represents Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant / Llansilin, said: "I am confident that members of both parts of the ruling group will support a rise of council tax to help services.

"There has been discussion by all sides at budget seminars when questions have been asked.

"But this is part of the budget setting process.

"No decision have been made yet and I'm sure members will make their feelings known when we discuss the budget at full council at the end of January."

Former Conservative and now non-aligned County Councillor Gary Price, who represents  Llandrindod Wells North, says he has great concern about the openness around the budget debate.

Cllr Price said: "I asked  if all members of th administration had seen and discussed the proposals and were in agreement with the proposed savings before the information was sent to all councillors

Cllr Price said: "They indicated that all councillors of the Independent/Conservative Administration had, and were, in broad agreement.

"However, during a short break in the Budget Seminar at least 10 backbench councillors  informed me that this was incorrect.

"They told me the first opportunity they’d been given to discuss the details around the proposed savings, and express any concerns they had would to be at a joint group meeting."

At the moment the Powys Council has: 29 Independents, 19 Conservatives, 13 Liberal Democrats, seven Labour, two Plaid Cymru, two non-aligned and one Green councillor.