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04
Nov
Councillors agree new Harrogate Town Council tax charge
Councillors have backed creating a new council tax charge to cover the costs of the new Harrogate Town Council next year.
A meeting of Harrogate’s Charter Trustees held at the Civic Centre this afternoon agreed the move as part of the new authority’s first budget.
It will see a £12.73 charge levied on council tax bills in addition to the sums already paid to fund North Yorkshire Council and police and fire services.
The move will be now be voted on at a full council meeting of North Yorkshire Council in Northallerton on November 13.
Today’s meeting was told that the unitary council’s executive had offered a loan facility of £100,000 to help keep contingency costs low in the first year.
However, the loan would be required to be paid back with interest in the subsequent financial years of the town council.
Cllr Chris Aldred, charter mayor of Harrogate and Liberal Democrat councillor, said accepting a loan would “just move money into future years”.
He said:
It’s moving the money about on taxpayers from one year to the other. I do not see the logic in that.
I do not like this business of a loan whatsoever. I think it just adds to the cost of a town council.
Councillors differed over the level of contingency funding the town council should have.
Liberal Democrat councillors recommended that the figure should be in the region of £100,000 and £150,000 without the need of a loan.
However, Conservatives on the committee urged a lower sum of £50,000 plus the loan facility.
Cllr Michael Harrison, Conservative councillor and member of the council’s executive, said:
I agree that there is a lot what the town council can do. But there is a responsibility for the tax to be as low as possible.
I think if it were a lower figure, we would still be setting them [the town council] up to succeed.
Councillors agreed a budget with a council tax precept of £12.73 by four votes to three.
The budget, which includes £125,000 for a full-time clerk and administration support and a £100,000 contingency fund, is forecast to be £362,000 in total.
A total of 28,427 households in the new Harrogate parish will have to share the cost.
This new parish precept will be in addition to the sums already paid to fund North Yorkshire Council and police and fire services.
Ripon City Council charges £76.41 and Knaresborough Town Council charges £26.92 for its parish precepts. Harrogate's precept is expected to rise once the council takes on responsibilities.
Elections for Harrogate Town Council will take place in May next year.
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