North Yorkshire Council tax bills have been plopping through letter boxes in the last couple of weeks, the contents of which have not, it is fair to say, been eagerly anticipated. Much media coverage has been given to just how much these bills would rise, so it was with understandable trepidation that the monthly amount to be paid from April 1st was carefully scrutinised.

The parish precept is included on the council tax statement, as it is North Yorkshire that collects this on behalf of the village's parish council. Council tax bills show that the precept for Bishop Monkton has risen by 7.2%, which seems to be out of line with the maximum 4.99% rise allowed, an amount set by Government. Anything above this requires either a local vote, a referendum, or Government approval. The increase equates to £2.11 p.a. based on a band D property.

Bishop Monkton Today therefore raised the question to the Parish Council as to why its precept had risen over 2% above the Government's stipulation.

Dean Culshaw, chair of the PC, gave this explanation “It is different for precepts which have no such restrictions. This year's precept reflects the annual budget and an estimation of any cost increases anticipated throughout the year. There has been no increase in the precept for three years up until now."

Currently, there is no cap on the amount that a Parish Council can raise via their precept, which is essentially a local tax levied by parish and town councils to cover their operational costs and fund services they provide to residents. It is a crucial factor in determining the level of services and amenities that can be offered. No direct funding is received from central government.

The precept helps cover the cost of parish council administration, maintenance around the village, including grass cutting, and projects such as the Christmas lights (extremely pretty last year), speed calming and signage.

The Parish Council provide a more detailed breakdown on their own website click