RESIDENTS in North Yorkshire face a 15 per cent rise in their council tax bills as key services including highway maintenance and care for the elderly are cut.

Councillors were today deciding whether to spend up to the capping limit of almost £360 million next year and push up council tax bills by an average of £65.

The Government's standard spending assessment for North Yorkshire, announced at the end of last year, falls more than £6 million short of the county's proposed budget for 1998/99.

North Yorkshire County Council leader David Ashton said tough decisions would have to be made over next year's budget.

"It is disappointing that there will have to be a substantial increase in council tax and at the same time a reduction in services which the county council is able to provide," he said.

Social services and environmental services would be cut to the point where the council could not meet its obligations as a local authority, he warned.

"There is particular concern about the increasing number of older people needing the support of social services, as well as children and people with learning disabilities.

"There are almost 6,000 miles of roads in North Yorkshire and there are inescapable costs of repairing them."

The council has already agreed that £13.6 million earmarked by the Government for the county's schools should be made available for education spending.

Last month Coun Ashton led a delegation of senior councillors to discuss North Yorkshire's plight with Hilary Armstrong, the minister for housing and local government. Instead the Government this week imposed a £150,000 budget cut.

Coun Ashton added: "We strive to provide the best possible service at the cheapest possible cost to the council tax payer."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.