The deputy leader of Worcestershire County Council has said the authority needs "flexibility" to combat a £73m budget shortfall, despite opponents saying Reform UK could preside over the "biggest council tax rise Worcestershire has ever seen".
The council has applied to government for permission to potentially increase council tax by up to 10%, but deputy leader Rob Wharton, who is also in charge of finance, said the plans for next year were based on a 5% rise.
"This is just about giving us some 'tools in the box' should we need it. At the moment, just to be clear, 5% is what is factored into our plans, but it does depend on that settlement."
Adam Kent, leader of the opposition Conservative group, said people in the county were already struggling.
"I can't see anybody in my group supporting a council tax rise of more than 5%, and even that is horrendous,"
he said.
He added Reform had campaigned on a pledge of cutting waste and taxes.
The final amount will be voted on by councillors in February as part of the 2026-27 budget setting process, with the new taxes in force from April.
Reform became the largest group on the county council following the May elections, but does not have a majority and depends on support from other parties.
Cabinet papers state that the authority currently has one of the lowest council tax bills in England, calling it "no longer sustainable".
The cabinet report also confirms that the council is asking the government for Exceptional Financial Support - effectively an emergency loan.
They hope to get £43.6m - but a cabinet report warns that the budget gap would still require some services to be "provided in different ways" or "stop altogether".
The authority had to use the same mechanism to borrow £33m for this financial year, or face declaring itself bankrupt.
Wharton said the financial situation was bleak.
"As it stands now, we've pencilled in a 5% council tax rise,"
he said.
"We've asked for the option to increase it by up to 10% - we're pretty sure they [the government] wouldn't say yes to that, but it's purely to give us that flexibility when the local government financial settlement comes out."
Councils have to apply to the government if they want to increase council tax bills above 5%.
Six councils across England sought that permission last year with the rises ranging from 7.5% in areas like Birmingham and Somerset to 10% in Bradford.
The current council Band D rate is £1,615 per year - excluding extra charges from the police, fire service and district councils - meaning a hike of 6% would add £96 to household bills, while 8% would see it rise by £129.