Aberdeenshire councillors yesterday voted for a 4% increase in council tax - the first of Scotland's 32 councils to agree on a figure.
The move will raise almost £1.6million for the local authority, as members struggle to balance the books in light of "astronomical" inflation.
Council tax accounts for around a fifth of Aberdeenshire Council's entire budget, alongside Scottish Government funding and income from services.
The 4% rise will set council tax band D at £1,393.42.
That works out at a rise of £1.03 a week, more than £50 a year, for households in that middle banding before any other charges are added.
Motion
The motion for the 4% increase was from the Conservative, Lib Dem and independent coalition.
It was voted through, with the SNP amendment of a 6% rise failing.
Councils have appealed to the Scottish Government for more money, but ministers have said they were given a fair settlement in challenging circumstances.
Aberdeenshire Council leader Mark Findlater proposed the 2023/24 increase of 4%. He said it came amid rising costs and people struggling, and that the decision was not being taken lightly.
"I think this is the best way forward for Aberdeenshire Council," Mr Findlater told the BBC..
Prudent
"It's a prudent way forward for folk going through these difficult times. Services will suffer. We will be making an awful lot of difficult decisions, but make them we have to."
Councillor Gwyneth Petrie had proposed the 6% increase in a bid to protect services.
Council tax bills in Aberdeenshire rose by 3% last year.
All Scotland's councils are obliged to set their budgets for 2023/24 in the coming weeks,
It has emerged that Aberdeen City Council, which is to make its council-tax decision on March 1, is among Scottish local authorities with the biggest funding gaps for the next financial year.
Aberdeen shortfall
The Granite City's shortfall of £53million puts it in third place behind Glasgow with £120million and Edinburgh on £70million.
Scotland's councils are reported to be facing a total funding gap of £700million as they prepare to set their budgets.
Without additional national funding, local authorities are considering major cuts to local jobs and services and increases in council tax to balance their books.
Local authorities are large employers, so chopping roles could significantly reduce costs.
But the Scottish Government has stepped in to stop any reduction in teaching posts.
Independent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that, when new and expanding responsibilities are taken into account, grant funding for Scottish councils is set to fall by 0.8% in real terms this April.