East Riding councillors approve 4.99% council tax rise

Councillors in the East Riding have agreed to increase council tax by 4.99%

Councillors in the East Riding of Yorkshire have agreed to increase the authority's part of the council tax charge by 4.99%.

The figure, which comprises a 2.99% rise in council tax plus a further 2% increase in the adult social care levy, will come into force for the 2023/24 financial year.

It is the maximum amount a local authority is allowed to increase the precept by without a referendum.

Officials said the increase would generate an additional £9.9m for council coffers.

Council leader Jonathan Owen said: "The cost of living crisis has hit us all hard over the last year, and while I understand the financial pressures facing our residents, the council too has its own pressures which we need to address.

"We are taking action to reduce our costs while making sure the council is best positioned to face future challenges and support the local community in a sustainable manner," he said.

Mr Owen said that without the increase, the authority was facing "a base budget deficit" of £36m by 2026/27.

"This level of deficit could not be met without additional significant and on-going cuts to services such as our libraries, leisure centres, highways and our adult social care provision," he added.

The authority said it also needed to make savings of £19.3m from its 2023/24 budget to help absorb "significant cost increases" caused by inflationary pressures and the cost of delivering services.

The 4.99% increase will mean a rise of £53.79 a year for a Band A property and £80.68 for a Band D property, without any single-person discounts applied.

Any additional charges from Humberside Police, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service as well as town and parish councils are determined separately, a council spokesperson added.

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