Council tax charges across North Ayrshire will face a hike of five per cent after the North Ayrshire finally passed its budget.
However, it took a 45-minute recess which saw the SNP ruling party negotiate with the Tories and come up with a new motion which they got over the line, with the Labour amendment defeated.
Cuts have included the end of the Food for Life accreditation in schools and the closure of Kilwinning early years centre, which is set to move into Pennyburn Primary School.
Investments include £48 million on the Millport flood protection scheme.
Wednesday's meeting started with cabinet finance chief Christina Larsen backing the Budget.
She said: “The financial landscape we are operating in is a very challenging one with inflation running at over 10 per cent and fairly significant cost increases which have contributed to a budget gap of £10m in 23-24.
“We have had to consider the impact savings would have on our communities through engagements with more than 1,400 people. This has helped shape the proposals we have outlined. I am proud to say there will be no compulsory redundancies.
“When looking at council tax levels, we have considered current levels of inflation as well as the impact on our citizens.
“Tackling child poverty and cost of living, supporting our community and addressing climate change are our main priorities.”
Tory group leader Tom Marshall put forward an amendment, calling on up to a £1m in underspend to be used for roads instead of additional emergency support through the council’s Energy Smart scheme.
He said: “I sincerely congratulate Mark Boyd and his team for the work they have done in achieving a balanced budget. Like circus performers, they are juggling numbers to achieve this end. Councils are not financially sustainable if funding carries on like this.
“The SNP government budget was the biggest in devolution history but they have failed to deliver for councils in Scotland and North Ayrshire in particular. Over the last 10 years the North Ayrshire Budget has suffered over £100m of cuts."
Labour group leader Joe Cullinane called for increasing parking notice charges (PCN), a move worth £150,000, as well as setting up one enforcement team for PCN and environmental fines at £93,000.
He also called for Food for Life accreditation (£53,923); Christmas lights (£35,000) and cost of the school day (£500,000) to be removed from the proposed cuts, as well as the introduction of a school staff wellbeing fund of £278,000 through savings from the school strikes; rollout free school meals and set up a child poverty fund (£1m).
He added: “This is the first budget I have sat through where the administration’s flagship announcement is that they have saved the much-loved community facilities from closure from themselves.
"The only people who could have proposed the closure of the Harbour Arts Centre and Arran Outdoor Centre are the administration.
“The Labour group rejects the idea that we use over £16m on a non-recurring basis to mitigate Nicola Sturgeon’s cuts to local government. We also want to start the journey to universal free school meals, including secondaries.”
Head of finance Mark Boyd said the Labour amendments were legally competent but carried a “significant level of financial risk” and would lead to a £17m funding gap instead of £12m.
The new SNP motion called for up to £1m to be spent on roads from underspend instead of additional emergency support to the Energy Smart Scheme.
However, any further balance of underspend would go Energy Smart. Meanwhile, PCN charges increased to the maximum level of £150,000.
It proposed to remove Christmas lights and free food waste liners from any cuts with the balance of £92,500 to contribute towards the underspend position.
Moving the new motion, Councillor Larsen said it incorporated elements of the Tory and Labour amendments in working out their final proposal.
The motion was carried by 23 votes to 10.
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