An initial proposal to increase council tax in Teignbridge by 3.9 per cent, has now been reduced to 3.5 per cent.
That is the recommendation going to the full council on February 23 from the Teignbridge Executive.
Leader Cllr Alan Connett told the executive on Tuesday that 3.5 per cent equated to £4.98 a year or 10p a week for Band D council taxpayers.
He explained that the reduction followed a further review and 'a good chunk' was thanks to a freeze on members' allowances in the coming year, much of which would pay for the Teignbridge Credit Crunch Commission proposals.
Leisure, car parking and building control charges were being held down, though some other charges would go up three per cent. the council had no control of planning charges, which were set by the government.
Cllr Connett said they were carrying £275,000 for the Local Development Framework (LDF) in the coming year's budget, though officers had flagged up that was nowhere near enough.
'Last week other councils across the country were expressing their frustration at the cost of the LDF. We continue to lobby the government to make it easier and less complicated,' he said.
Some £2.8 million was being invested in mixed light industry/offices in Collett Way, Newton Abbot, that would bring 120 jobs, which continued at a cautious pace.
'We will have to see how the land lies. We have started a marketing campaign to establish what demand there is,' he said.
Cllr Anne Fry said she welcomed the proposal for Collett Way.
'We do have housing permissions granted for Newton Abbot and we must make sure we have jobs to go with them.
Members heard that there were currently some 1,500 unemployed in the Teignbridge travel to work area, the percentage rate was rapidly rising and was now getting on for four per cent.
The cost of the economic downturn in interest terms was likely to be more than £300,000.