An 8.5 per cent council tax precept increase for residents in Whitby has been approved by the town council.
Whitby Town Council has approved an 8.5 per cent precept increase which will result in an annual Band D equivalent charge of £74.53, an increase of 11p a week.
Updated projections for the council’s annual budget show that the increase will add just £5 to its general reserves at the end of the year.
The £5 will be the residual surplus after income and expenditure, while the budget also includes around £20,500 of proposed contributions into earmarked reserves for future projects and elections.
Councillors had two other proposals, including an inflation-linked 3.4 per cent increase and a 4.99 per cent increase, both of which would have required the use of reserves to balance the budget.
As part of the budget, the authority has projected an annual income of £160,050 and an expenditure of £598,695 for 2026/27.
The budget has allocated £6,250 to a new earmarked reserve for the 2027 elections.
At the recent full meeting of the authority, an amendment was proposed by councillors Elizabeth Mulheran and Sarah Blackwell to set a precept increase of 4.99 per cent instead.
However, the amendment was put to the vote and was defeated.
A report prepared for the meeting stated:
“The proposed target general reserve figure for Whitby Town Council is three months, which, based on the 2025/26 projected outturn, would be approximately £92,000.
“Based on the highest option, the proposed target reserve would be approximately £99,000. The projected outturn contribution to general reserves at the end of the 2025/26 financial year is £114,973.31.”
The 2026/27 council tax base for the town is 5,885.71 Band D equivalent households, according to North Yorkshire Council.
At the meeting, councillors also approved the appointment of a new internal auditor for the authority.
Members opted for a proposal that included “a more comprehensive service comprising an in-person interim audit alongside the year-end audit”
A council report explained that, “given identified governance and internal control weaknesses, a proactive approach including an interim audit would better support improvement during the financial year”.
Internal Audit Yorkshire was appointed the council’s internal auditor for the 2025/26 financial year at a cost of £1,890 plus mileage expenses, “to include a two-day on-site interim audit and a year-end audit”.
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