City of York Council tax set to rise by almost 5%

City of York Council says it needs to save £8.2m from its budget

Council tax in York is set to rise 4.99% as the authority looks to save £8m amid "unprecedented" pressures on its finances.

Rents will also go up by 7% for people living in council homes, an average increase of almost £6 per week.

Finance chief Councillor Nigel Ayre said the rises were due to record inflation combined with an increased demand for council services.

The budget proposals for 2023/24 will be discussed next week.

Mr Ayre said the council was facing "tough decisions", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"This budget looks to stabilise our financial position in what is an extremely uncertain and turbulent financial time, whilst continuing to provide essential services to our local communities," he said.

"Despite the national financial challenges we are increasing spending on adult social care to support the most vulnerable, investing to support children and young people, protecting frontline services and supporting those facing the most dire financial difficulties during this cost of living crisis."

He added that York received significantly less national funding compared with other authorities.

The budget will be presented before the executive committee on 12 January and finally be debated and voted on at full council on 23 February

While the council said it would plough an extra £5m into adult social care and children's services, because this area accounts for around two thirds of its overall spending, it also faces cuts in some areas.

The proposals show that nearly £300,000 will be cut from day support and short stays for carers, more than £500,000 slashed from learning disability budgets and £25,000 from school catering services.

Fees and charges for services like burials and parking are also set to rise.

Jobs are also on the line as the council seeks to reduce its number of chief officers and stop the use of interim and agency staff for senior roles - though bosses have also told staff "every opportunity will be explored to mitigate any compulsory redundancies".

Overall, cuts and savings of £8.2m between 2023-2025 have been identified.

The budget will be presented before the executive committee on 12 January and finally be debated and voted on at full council on 23 February.