A MAYOR urged councillors to ‘do what’s right and not what’s popular’ by accepting Middlesbrough’s budget and a1.85 per cent council tax rise which he described as ‘righteous’.

Despite calls from some concerned councillors that poverty-stricken locals turning to food and clothing banks couldn’t afford to pay council tax, the 2015/16 final budget - which had to find cuts to services totalling £14.1m - was passed by 25 votes to 15.

Elected mayor, Ray Mallon, who is stepping down as an Independent at the election in May, used one of his last public speaking opportunities to reiterate the fact that the biggest bill faced by the town was paying for children in care and the elderly. They now swallow up 53 per cent of the total budget and that is expected to increase to 73 per cent in five year's time.

Cllr Bernie Taylor said: “People are having to resort to food banks and clothing banks. Taking more money out of the pockets of residents is not the answer as it means less money for people to spend in town."

However, Cllr Charlie Rooney thought locals were turning to food banks because of the ‘bedroom tax’ and benefit cuts, rather than having to pay council tax.

Mr Mallon said there were 365 children in care in Middlesbrough currently, including 16 classed as vulnerable, costing between £1.2m and £1.3m. The town also had 23,000 inhabitants over 65 of which 1,700 had dementia, he said. By 2020 the number of pensioners will have risen by 3,000 with an additional 385 suffering from memory loss.

“A vote against this budget is not just for the one in 2015/16, you are voting against it for the next five or six years," he said.

“If you are going to vote against the budget you are voting against looking after children, you are voting against looking after the elderly and you are voting against the living wage. You are voting against everything that is righteous."

Independent councillor, Len Junier, had proposed an amendment which would have seen council tax frozen for one year, but this was rejected in the council chamber by 24 to 11.

“It’s human nature to want to be popular,” said Mr Mallon. "I want to be popular, but sometimes you have to do what’s right, not what’s popular.

“Popularity does not last long, but councillors have to have courage of their convictions and say what’s the right thing to do."