Hambleton District Council has defended its decision to levy the maximum rise in its council tax demand before having to hold a referendum after facing criticism that some residents were already struggling to make ends meet.
The council’s cabinet has pushed forward a proposal to increase its precept by £5 for the average Band D household to £119.48 from April, which its leadership said would cover the costs of services such as bin collections alongside providing some £390,000 of grants for dozens of community causes.
With the increase the Band D charge in Hambleton district will remain less than half the charge residents in neighbouring Harrogate borough will face.
However, the funding for the Making A Difference grants, in which councillors choose causes, is more than three times what the authority had offered before last year.
The meeting heard councillors respond to claims from residents that the rise represented the council “taking money off people who haven’t got it” by highlighting how the authority had frozen its council tax demand last year.
Nevertheless, Independent councillor Paul Atkin questioned whether the adverse publicity the council tax rise had attracted could have been avoided by the authority using more of its remaining £9.2m pot of reserves instead.
He said: “In 14 months’ time we are going to be handing these reserves over to Harrogate Borough Council, as Boroughbridge council will tell you. I know it’s a small amount, but spend that on our residents rather than giving it to the parishioners of Harrogate.”
The authority’s leader, Councillor Mark Robson, replied: “That was an alternative Councillor Atkin, I’m sure you’re right and I totally agree with what you’re saying, but I think that’s what’s being put forward to you today and I would certainly recommend that’s the route we go because ultimately, you know, there may be unknowns over the next 14 months, but ultimately we want to provide what we are providing to our residents and this is what’s recommended to you today, which I would support.”
Coun Robson told the meeting the reason behind its council tax demand increase was because the authority was taking the opportunity of the last time it would be able to offer Making A Difference grants.
He said a small amount of funding would make a large difference to many organisations across the district.
Referring to the council tax increase, Coun Robson said: “That’s 50 pence a month to continue to receive the levels of service that I’m sure you’re all proud of that we provide our residents within Hambleton and will continue to do so for the next 14 months as a district council.
“We will become more than likely the third lowest in the country setting this levy again and will certainly be the lowest in North Yorkshire.
“Yes, there’s pressures from all sides because of increasing costs, we are more than aware of that, but to increase it at such a relatively small amount to continue those services that we all enjoy I would certainly recommend that to you all.”
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