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17
Feb 2021
Council tax increase 'most difficult decision ever', says council leader
The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has said increasing council tax during the covid pandemic is the "most difficult decision” the authority has made.
It was confirmed today that a band D property in the Harrogate district will see its bill increase to £2,007 from this April. It is currently £1,947.
County councillors voted for the 3.49% hike, which includes 1.5% for adult social care, in its share of council tax at a meeting today.
Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner also agreed increases in their rates earlier this month, which means the final sum is now known.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, told councillors that it was a “difficult balance to strike” to ask people to pay more while the economy was struggling.
He said:
But Cllr Bryn Griffiths, speaking on behalf of the Liberal Democrat group, criticised the national government for failing to publish details of its reforms to adult social care, which has prompted councils to increase council tax to pay for it.
Read more:
- Harrogate council backs council tax hike
- ‘Not the time’ to pay more for North Yorkshire policing
- How much Harrogate council taxpayers could be paying in 2021
He said the precept added onto the council tax bill to pay for the service may be “the final straw” for some people.
Cllr Griffiths said:
Cllr Stuart Parsons, leader of the North Yorkshire Independents, said the government was "transferring the blame" on taxation instead of solving funding problems in areas such as social care.
Meanwhile, Cllr Eric Broadbent, leader of the Labour group, said he "reluctantly" supported the increase, but added that council tax was "regressive" and "penalised" those on low incomes.
The vote to increase council tax and pass the authority's budget was passed with 59 votes in favour, two against and four abstentions.
Cost of covid
So far, the county council has spent £80 million responding to covid.
It has responded by hiking council tax and dipping into its reserves to balance the books.
The county council will use £8.2 million of its own funds to offset a projected shortfall next year, but officials have warned it cannot continue to use its reserves in the long run.
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