Council tax in York and North Yorkshire to rise in order to pay struggling police and fire services

Residents in York and the rest of the county will pay nearly two per cent more following an agreement in a meeting held by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan on Friday.

The extra cost is to fund what is known as the precept - the additional cash for police and fire services following Government funding which comes from local authorities.

The 1.99 per cent increase will mean that, from April 2021 onwards, residents in Band D properties will be paying an average of 10p a week extra to fund North Yorkshire Police and an additional three pence a week for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Ms Mulligan said: “The past year has seen us all living through difficult times and my decision to increase the amount paid in council tax for both policing and fire and rescue by 1.99 per cent should be seen in that context.

“Our emergency services continue to do everything they can to keep us safe and feeling safe, and it is important we ensure they can continue to do that facing challenges that no-one would have predicted just one year ago.

“But I also recognise that many families across North Yorkshire and York are facing huge demands on their finances which is why I felt increasing the precept by the maximum allowed would be the wrong decision.

“I am pleased the Police, Fire and Crime Panel agreed with the proposal which will keep us safe and feeling safe while not placing an unfair burden on families facing unprecedented pressures on their finances.”

However, Ms Mulligan, a Conservative, also spoke of her dismay over the Government rejecting appeals to allow the fire service to raise more money from residents.

Speaking in Friday's meeting, she said: "It’s disappointing that the arguments that we made with Government didn’t allow us greater flexibility around fire precept.”

Combined results of online and phone surveys of more than 3,000 residents showed some 72 per cent supported an increase of up to £1.45 in the fire and rescue service precept. Almost 20 per cent of residents polled said they would support an increase of £10 for the service.

The commissioner said the fire service’s financial position was “being managed and is stable”, but with the exception of Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire had the country’s "worst-funded fire service".

Mrs Mulligan said: “We have significant challenges around money. That limits the investment we can make in developing the service, which is the biggest opportunity cost.

“We don’t have the luxury of having resources in areas of where we don’t need them.”

City of York Council leader Councillor Keith Aspden replied there was a case for fire services including North Yorkshire to have their funding reviewed by Government.

“I think that’s a point that we should not give up on and we should continue to make that case nationally," Mr Aspden said.

“There are clearly going to be future challenges with capital, estates, appliances and risk across the area because how tight this budget is.”

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