Town Councillors Agree Increase for next year’s rate precept.
Friday 16 December 2022

At this weeks Town Council meeting councillors discussed next year’s rate precept (The Town Councils share of Council Tax).
Three options were considered:

A. 0% increase. Which would have meant cuts to services and probably staffing.
B. 3.49% increase. Which would maintain the current level of services and staffing.
C. 5% increase. Which would enable the council to begin new projects and services.

After a short discussion it was unanimously agreed to set the precept for 2023/24 at 3.49%. Councillors felt that it was important to maintain the existing level of service but at a time of financial hardship for many a rise of 5% could not be justified.

The 3.49% precept increase means that Council Taxpayers in Band D will pay £97.56 a year or £1.87 a week towards Town Council costs which is an increase of £3.29 a year.

Pocklington Town Council maintains West Green, 2 play parks, the cemetery, Christmas lights plus other things including oversight of the Arts Centre but not roads or schools. The councillors are not paid.

The rise is provisional as it must go through the East Riding process before being officially signed off.

East Riding Council are currently working on their budgets but are unable to finalise their figure until the Government confirms the level of grant, they will receive. In 2019/20, local authorities in England received 23% of their funding from government grants, 50% from council tax, and 27% from retained business rates – revenue from business rates that they do not send to the Treasury.

I understand that previous forecasts indicated that East Riding reserves would fall from £88m in April 2022 to £18m in April 2026.