North Yorkshire County Council is planning an an above-inflation rise in council tax.
The county council, which makes up just under 70 per cent of a ratepayer’s bill, is looking to up its share of the precept by 4.99 per cent compared to 2018/19.
The council’s executive will meet on Tuesday next week to vote on the authority’s budget for the forthcoming financial year.
The rise is made up of a general council tax increase of 2.99 per cent and is supplemented with a 2 per cent social care precept.
A report, which will go before the councillors, states: “A 4.99per cent increase in 2019/20 would cost the average Band D household an additional £62.31 per annum (£5.19 per month or £1.20 per week) in relation to the county council’s element of the overall bill.
“This would result in a Band D level of £1,311.16 in 2019/20.”
The report, by chief executive Richard Flinton and the corporate director of strategic resources Gary Fielding, adds that the council needs to make further swingeing cuts to its budget.
It notes: “By the end of 2018/19 the county council will have delivered £157.4m of savings. It is estimated, however, that a further £40.3m will be required from 2019/20 to 2021/22.
“The aggregate savings requirement of £197.7m broadly equates to a reduction of just under 40% in the council’s spending power
since 2011.
“It is therefore essential that the county council has a sound medium to longer term strategy to address this financial challenge.
“Whilst savings proposals of £26.3m have been identified from 2019/20 to 2021/22, there remains a projected residual shortfall of £14.0m by 2021/22
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