The amount Ripon households will pay to fund the city council in 2026/27 has been finalised.

Band D households will be charged £81.78, compared with £79.70 in 2025/26. That represents a below inflation increase of 2.61%.

By comparison, Knaresborough Town Council increased its Band D charge by 15.95% to £42.89 and Harrogate Town Council, which was only set up a year ago, more than doubled its charge to £25.78 for 2026/27.

The sums were finalised at an extraordinary meeting of Ripon City Council on Monday (February 2) night.

The council has yet to publish a full breakdown of its 2026/27 budget, but the total amount raised from households — known as the precept — will increase from £483,200 to £501,506.

Councillors agreed to increase the total value of its small grants fund, which awards community organisations up to £1,000 each, from £8,000 to £15,000.

They also voted to increase the amount awarded in partnership funding from £26,000 to £32,000 and to allocate reserves for initiatives such as Christmas lights, the cost of elections in 2027 and the Ripon city bus service.

Councillor Andrew Williams, from the ruling Independents Putting Ripon Before Party Politics group, described it as a “prudent” budget at the meeting.

The meeting also saw Cllrs Williams. Jackie Crozier, Gary Camplejohn, Sid Hawke, Sherrie Hunt and Chris Hardisty elected to a working group to consider the future of the mayor’s lamppost.

The ceremonial lamppost is moved around the city to stand outside the home of whoever is elected mayor each year.

Current mayor Cllr Barbara Brodigan has proposed saving money by permanently siting it outside the town hall. You can read more on the issue here.

The working group will consider this and other options.