News on Let's Talk North Yorkshire

As part of North Yorkshire’s biggest ever county-wide conversation, Let’s Talk North Yorkshire, we’re asking for your views to help shape the council’s budget. We want to know which services you feel are most important, what you think about council tax, and hear your ideas for savings.

Council tax is now the most important source of funding for the council and each one per cent increase would raise £4m towards meeting rising costs and demand. How far council tax can be raised is, in part, controlled by the Government. In recent years they have set a ‘referendum limit’ which means any increase above that rate has to be voted on locally. The cost and practicalities of doing that means that this limit acts as a cap on council tax increases.

In his Autumn Statement on 17 November, the Chancellor announced that local authorities in England who provide social care will be able to increase council tax by up to 5 per cent without holding a local referendum, with a 3 per cent general increase and 2 per cent to fund social care.

Have your say by taking part in Let’s Talk Money before 23 December here.

If you haven’t completed our Let’s Talk Local survey yet, looking at what’s important to you in your local area and what improvements you’d like to see, you can take part here. Please encourage your friends and family to take part as well!