A "chaotic" tax calculation error has been defended and embraced by the authority responsible as a "happy mistake".
Conservatives on Bicester Town Council say the accidental change in council tax by two per cent "insults the people of Bicester's intelligence" after the Liberal Democrat and Green administration had in reality intended to approve a much higher figure.
The new ruling coalition unintentionally delivered a decrease per household having voted for an increase using "outdated housing figures".
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Nick Mawer, Conservative group leader at the town council, said: "For this accidental decrease in council tax to be passed off as intentional insults the people of Bicester's intelligence and the hard work of the staff at the town council."
Donna Ford, Conservative councillor for Bicester East, added: “The budget making process at the town council this year has let down the people of Bicester badly.
"After a year of failure to deliver any of the much-needed upgrades to our parks, and high levels of customer dissatisfaction around use of our sports facilities, I’m really troubled by this year’s budget making process."
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat councillor Rachel Mallows has admitted the council made a mistake but suggests the Conservatives were "grasping at straws" and "putting a spin on things".
Ms Mallows said: "It was a bit of a mistake.
"But they're really taking this and twisting it into something it's not.
"They've really left everything in a bit of a mess and to come out and say this is a bit hypocritical.
"Technically they're correct but it turned out to be a bit of a happy mistake and we embraced it.
"At town council, the Tories have systematically overtaxed residents, failed to deliver services, invested the council’s reserves for little or zero gain and exercised historic poor financial oversight.
"During the first year of the Lib Dem and Green led council, we have overseen a number of improvements to financial governance, improved contract delivery that will provide long term cost savings and better control, a new play park for Southwold with CCTV and planning for a £400,000 ‘super park’ in Garth Park that councillor Ford herself has slowed down the process."
Conservative councillor Adam Nell, the portfolio holder for finance at Cherwell District Council, said: "The Liberal Democrats and Greens who run Bicester Town Council appear to have got their arithmetic wrong - they voted for a two per cent increase but asked us for an amount which was quite different from that."
Meanwhile, Green town councillor Damien Maguire, of the Bicester South ward, has called for calm.
He said: "I don't think anyone really wins on this and we all have to work together.
"I'm sorry we're fighting.
"I think unfortunately Bicester loses in the end and that's not what I'm here for."
Mr Maguire suggested it was the chief clerk who had been "hired by the Conservatives" that made the error.
Bicester Town Council did not wish to comment.
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