COUNCILLORS have called on a local authority to "give residents a break" by setting a zero council tax increase.

Officers from Richmondshire District Council have recommended that the authority raise its share of the council tax bill by 2.7 per cent for 2006/07.

But some members say a grant from the Government was better than expected, so any increase is an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer.

Councillor John Blackie, leader of the Tory group, said the authority had received a 7.9 per cent increase in Government funding, when it was expecting only a three per cent rise.

He said changes to the payment date and additional charges for non-payers meant the council would receive an extra 11 per cent in total.

"The district council is proposing 2.7 per cent on top of that," he said.

"I am very concerned that council tax payers, over the past two or three years, have had to suffer the burden of increases - it's now time to give them a break.

"I think a zero council tax rise, given the generous settlement from the Government, is the appropriate way forward."

Richmond Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Parsons has also criticised the proposed rise.

He said: "It's just not on. We should be sharing the good times. That way, taxpayers may be more understanding when the bad times come."

But council leader Bill Glover said anything less than a rise level with inflation was not sustainable.

He said: "Look at some of our neighbouring authorities who have learnt the hard way that zero rises cannot be maintained, and they are currently paying the price.

"If the resources committee agrees to the 2.7 per cent increase, it would be one of the lowest in North Yorkshire."

Coun Blackie added that the authority was looking to hire another six officers.

He questioned the need for the extra staff, adding that the council should meet the cost of any new officers from the existing staff budget.

However, council chief executive Harry Tabiner said it was a "distortion of the truth" to say that the council was looking to hire six new members of staff.

The district council will discuss the proposed council tax rise at the Middleham Key Centre, on Tuesday.