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17
May 2023
Harrogate Borough Council spent £15,000 on staff leaving party
Harrogate Borough Council spent £14,910 on a final day leaving party for staff, a freedom of information request has revealed.
The bill, footed by council taxpayers, included £3,031 on drink and £4,750 on food. The other £7,000 is unaccounted for.
The Stray Ferret has submitted a freedom of information request seeking a fuller breakdown of the costs.
Seven district councils and North Yorkshire County Council were abolished on March 31 to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.
Harrogate Borough Council's final day staff party cost the most.
Scarborough was the next highest, spending £9,004, followed by Hambleton at £3,783. Ryedale awarded staff a £148 bonus and spent £3,001 on a party. North Yorkshire County Council did not spend anything.
When the Stray Ferret contacted Conservative-run Harrogate Borough Council in March about a leaving party, a spokesperson replied:
Now it has emerged a party did take place, a public sector worker in Harrogate described it as a "spit in the face of every taxpayer in these difficult financial times".
The person, who asked not to be named, said:
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Conor Holohan, media campaign manager of the pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance, echoed the concerns. He said:
The new signs at Harrogate's Civic Centre
Staff from the district councils, except the chief executives, transferred to North Yorkshire Council on April 1. It said in a statement:
When he stepped down as leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Richard Cooper said he would not give any further public comments and he declined to comment when asked about this matter.
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