Proposed increase to council tax in Scarborough - here's how you can have your say

As part of its draft revenue budget for 2020/21 the borough authority, which makes up around 13% of a resident’s council tax bill, is proposing to increase its share of the precept by £5 a year for a Band D property, a rise of around 2.1%.

It would bring the total paid to Scarborough Council by borough residents in a Band D property to £239.75.

Once the contributions to North Yorkshire County Council, which makes up 70% of a council tax bill, North Yorkshire Police and Fire Service and the social care precept have been set, a total bill for a Band D property will come to more than £1,900 for the year.

Last week, when the authority’s cabinet approved the draft budget, Scarborough Council leader Cllr Steve Siddons said it was important to find out the public’s priorities.

He said: “The public have a view about what is important to them and we want to recognise that through our consultation.”

That public consultation has now opened and people can have their say up until February 17 by clicking HERE and filling in the survey.

Since 2010 the council has delivered savings of £21m from its annual revenue budget in order to balance its books.

In its introduction to the public consultation, the council lays out its financial position for the years to come.

It states: ” The council’s three-year revenue budget projections anticipate that the council will need to identify savings of £6.7m over the period to 2023, although this figure is dependent on the outcome of the government’s review of local authority funding.

“[So far] £3.1m of this amount has been identified in 2020/21, leaving a further £3.6m to be identified over the next two financial years.”

Just over £1.7m in savings will come from a “greater than anticipated financial returns on the North Yorkshire Pension Fund” following a re-evaluation of the fund last year.

The budget will need to be approved by the full council later this year following the consultation.

Other proposed changes include the council tax premium on properties that have been empty and unfurnished for more than five years will increase from 100% to 200% for the 2020/21 year onwards and the premium on properties that have been empty and unfurnished for more than 10 years will increase from 100% to 300% from April 1 2021.