New council may add £28 to residents' bills
Getty ImagesCouncil tax bills could rise by about £28 a year for Scarborough residents to pay for the creation of a new town council.
Eight borough councils, including Scarborough, were abolished in 2023 to make way for the new North Yorkshire Council.
The authority has decided to create a smaller council for the town, with a budget of £384,000 for its first year following the election of councillors.
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting on Monday.
North Yorkshire Council planned to establish the new town council as part of a pledge to offer more power to local communities, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It would be responsible for local issues which could include services such as public benches, toilets and Christmas lights.
Residents in wards including Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, Northstead, Weaponness and Ramshill, and Woodlands will be asked to elect 15 unpaid councillors in May.
An extra charge would be added to council tax bills to cover costs, with the average band D householder expected to pay an additional £28.88 for 2025-2026.
The current council tax bill for band D properties in Scarborough is £1,847.36.
The town council's initial budget would cover costs including equipment, setting up a website and the salary for a clerk.
A report prepared for Scarborough’s charter trustees said: “The new council, once elected, will determine priorities for expenditure but the opening budget needs to reflect the set-up of the new council and an estimate of basic core running costs.”
According to the report, the extra 2024-25 band D property charge for town councils in other parts of North Yorkshire ranges from £27 in Knaresborough to £129 in Selby.
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