That the Charter Trustees have a recommend a precept of £362k for Harrogate Town Council for 2025-26 – For a Band D property that would levy an additional tax of £12.74 per year.
The meeting also said that no services would be delivered during the first year of the council, as it would be about defining vision and strategy.
The scope of the new Harrogate Town Council is yet to be defined, and there have been criticism, notably from Andrew Jones, the previous MP for Harrogate, that the scope was needed before people local residents could make an informed decision if a town council was beneficial.
Those that argue for it to it on the basis of levelling democracy to be equivalent to towns such as Ripon and Knaresborough that already have a town council, and that that it needs a that lower level of council to understand what is needed for the town.
The risk is that the establishment of the town council will become a scrabble for political power, rather than something useful for the town.
From the Charter Trust Meeting on 4 November 2024.
| Summary | Budget £000 | Comments |
| Key staff | 125 | Full time town clerk plus admin support |
| Minimum running costs | 60 | Premises, insurance, audit and other support fees (finance and legal) etc |
| Civic duties/events | 26 | |
| Set up costs | 51 | Interim clerk, equipment and website |
| Contingency | 50 – 250 | Contingency for operational risk |
| Total | 312 – 512 |
Cllr Paul Haslam said:
We have raised the precept to the council tax in preparation for the newly formed Town council – Its gone from 49 p to 12.??.
I believe it raises sufficient funds for the council to be set up with some officer support to be able to develop a strategic plan for the future proposed services and responsibilities for the council.
When these are more developed and costed then the town council can determine the appropriate precept funding they ask the their constituents to pay.
I believe we have been wholly responsible with tax payers money ie minimising any additional council tax burden whilst providing sufficient funds to set the newly formed council up for success.
John Swales, Harrogate and Knaresborough Reform UK said:
A recent Reform UK Harrogate and Knaresborough branch meeting held on 22 October 2024 was the launch event for their Harrogate Town Council election campaign.
Reform UK brought together members and supporters to gain insights into the role of local councillors and featured guest speaker Michael Jordan, a highly experienced Councillor who sits on North Yorkshire Council.
The event attracted a diverse audience eager to understand local governance ahead of the upcoming Harrogate Town elections in May 2025 that Reform UK are targeting.
Michael shared his extensive knowledge of the responsibilities and duties of councillors, highlighting their vital role in representing constituents and addressing community needs. His engaging presentation demystified local government processes, emphasising the importance of civic participation.
The event also provided a platform for members to ask questions and discuss the key qualities to consider when evaluating potential candidates. Attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage directly with local governance topics and agreed that a survey of residents was essential to understand the key issues faced by the Harrogate community.
We were thrilled with the turnout and the level of engagement from the members, particularly their suggestions for a survey on local issues, to inform our campaign
This meeting was an essential step in motivating members to stand as candidates as well as empowering voters to make informed decisions during the elections that will bring local decision making back to the town.
