While council leader Rob Wilson maintained public consultation showed 79 per cent of respondents wanted services to be protected even if it cost more, the voices on the streets of Mount Pleasant and Harlescott sang a different tune.
“We’re paying enough at the minute, and nothing much gets done for what we’re paying,” said resident Karen Jarvis.
“If they do put it up, are they going to do the jobs that they say they’re going to do?
“With everything going up today, people haven’t got the money to pay extra, people out there that can’t afford heating… [An extra] £60 might not be a lot for some people, but to others, like struggling families, it’s going to be really high for them.”
Wilson said the consultation also revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified that they wanted street cleaning to be improved, and they would like to see responsibility go to the town council.
As well as his responsibilities in Shrewsbury, he sits as a senior Liberal Democrat member of Shropshire Council, which is led by the party.