Pembrokeshire will have the lowest Council Tax in Wales and one of the lowest in the United Kingdom for the next financial year.
At yesterday's full meeting of the County Council in Haverfordwest, the authority agreed to a 2.6 per cent increase - a rise of just £13.91 for a Band D property for county council purposes. It means a total Band D Council Tax rate of £542.93.
This compares to an average increase in Wales of around 4.7 per cent.
Proposing the budget's recommendations, leader of the council, Clr. Maurice Hughes, said the increase was equal to the rate of inflation and therefore represented a zero increase in real terms.
He said: "Despite the fact that we are proposing a very small increase in Council Tax this year yet again, we shall be in a position to make significant improvements in provision for services to our customers.
"In the period since the last election in 1999, Council Tax has risen in Pembrokeshire by 32 per cent, while the average for all 22 councils in Wales during the same period has been 51 per cent.
"Indeed one authority has increased its Council Tax by 81 per cent during this period."
Clr Hughes said the authority was committed to its customers and reminded colleagues that the District Auditor had recently presented a glowing report on the council.