Final approval is set to be given for a hike in council tax bills this week as North Yorkshire County Council decides how much it will charge.
Total council tax is based on the amount charged by the county council, Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Some villages also charge a small sum too.
The county council will become the last to vote on its budget plans in the days ahead.
County councillors will meet on Wednesday to make a decision on a planned 3.99% hike in the authority’s share of bills, which equates to a £56 increase.
If approved, the move would see total bills for ratepayers in Band D households rise to £2,079 for the year. This would be £72 more than the current £2,007, which represents a 3.58% increase.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said previously that the decision to increase council tax was a difficult one.
However, he added that the authority continues to lobby for reform of the council tax system.
He said:
“We continue to feel that residents in North Yorkshire pay too much council tax, particularly in comparison to London, and urge the government to press on with funding reform to create a fairer solution for rural counties.”
Harrogate district council tax hikes 2022/23
- North Yorkshire County Council – £1,467 – 3.99% increase
- Harrogate Borough Council – £255.92 – 1.99% increase
- North Yorkshire Police – £281.06 – 3.69% increase
- North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue – £75.61 – 1.98% increase
Total Band D bill: £2,079.59
Last week, both the borough council and North Yorkshire’s police commissioner signed off on increases in their share of the rate.
For Harrogate, the share of council tax will increase by £5 despite concerns from opposition councillors for the council to use its reserves.
Read more:
- Harrogate council approves council tax hike
- In depth: Why Harrogate district residents can expect council tax rises
Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Harrogate Borough Council, said the authority should be using more of its cash reserves to ease the pressure on residents.
However, Cllr Graham Swift, the borough council’s cabinet member for economic development, dismissed the idea of not increasing council tax as “nonsense”. He said the authority faced increasing costs and had to keep services running and staff paid.
Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Police will see a £10 increase and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s rate will rise to £75.61.
