North Yorkshire set for council tax rise as budget approved
North Yorkshire County Council said a new authority is facing a £30 million shortfall
Households in North Yorkshire are set for a council tax rise of 4.99%, after councillors approved the latest budget.
It means those living in Band D properties face paying an extra £83 a year from April, when a new county-wide authority takes over.
The council said high levels of inflation, problems with supply chains and staffing costs meant it was having to find extra income.
It claims it's setting aside £66 million to cover the cost of rising prices alone, a rise of about £47 million on previous years.
North Yorkshire County Council leader Carl Les, who will become the leader of the new authority, said it was already facing "massive shortfalls."
Defending the move, he added: "We are facing unprecedented financial challenges in North Yorkshire, and this is without question the toughest budget that I have known in more than 20 years that I have been a member of the county council.
"The increase in council tax bills, though, is necessary to ensure that frontline services can continue to be provided. It is an extremely tough decision to increase bills at the current time, but unfortunately it is a choice that we have had to make."