THE outgoing Lord Mayor of York has criticised her successor for the estimated £5,000 cost of the ceremony ushering him into office.

This year’s ceremony for Coun David Horton is expected to cost around £1,000 more than last year, partly due to the decision to return the event to the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall at a cost of £600 rather than holding it in the Assembly Rooms, which can be used for free.

In a letter to The Press, the current Lord Mayor of York, Sue Galloway, said: “Why is it necessary to spend more on hiring the Merchant Adventurers’ when the Assembly Rooms are free? When the deal was struck with York Conservation Trust regarding the sale of the Assembly Rooms, it was agreed that there would be four free days for the council’s use – Lord Mayor’s Day, Legal Sunday and two days for the Christmas Cheer fund celebrations.

“The move to the Merchant Adventurers’ was a temporary solution whilst the Assembly Rooms were refurbished and Lord Mayor’s Day was always traditionally held there.

“Why pay when you can get something for free?”

The plans have also been criticised by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which said it was “highly insensitive of organisers to switch back to a more expensive venue at a time when the public finances are still in crisis”. The event will be paid for by the Lord Mayor’s annual hospitality budget of £17,000.

Coun Horton said: “This is most disrepectful of the Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor should not get involved in political matters. It’s nothing more than sour grapes.” Previously he said he was keen to return to the venue to indicate the importance of the Guilds in the civic life of the city.

He said: “The cost of the venue is small in terms of the overall cost of the event, and as Lord Mayor-elect it is my decision, as it was my predecessor’s, how they spend their civic budget. At the end of the civic year every Lord Mayor has the same budget to spend and this coming year is no different.”