YORK residents look set for a council tax rise of just below five per cent this year - which could mean 30 job cuts.

If approved, the 4.87 per cent rise would see £52.12 added to City of York Council's share of the annual council tax bill for an average Band D property.

Council leader Steve Galloway said last month that the rise would be about five per cent, after a groundbreaking poll of city residents produced a majority in favour of that option.

But officials have warned in a report that this is likely to lead to 30 full-time jobs being lost at the council.

They say this could lead to industrial action by public sector unions, and even possible strikes by staff.

Peter Household, spokesman for public sector union Unison, told the Evening Press today that strike action was not on the cards at present, and he was "fairly optimistic" that budget cuts could be made without redundancies.

Coun Galloway said that none of the job losses would come from compulsory redundancies, but would be found through voluntary redundancies and vacant places not being refilled.

Mr Household said: "We are not threatening to take strike action at this stage and I'm fairly optimistic that those cuts, although they do seem quite severe, can be achieved without redundancies."

In a letter to Coun Galloway, Mr Household urged him to reconsider proposed budget cuts, as a decrease in staff numbers would lead to increased pressure on staff and a reduction in service standards.

But Coun Galloway said: "We are trying to avoid any cuts in services at street level and there are approximately 30 posts that, as a result of a very difficult budget, are at risk. Of that number there won't be any compulsory redundancies. It will be a case of moving resources to make the necessary efficiency savings, and 30 is only a small number in terms of the 4,000 people the council employs."

The recommended council tax increase comes in under the five per cent threshold set by Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford for capping local authorities.

The proposed city council rise will be debated at a special meeting of its ruling executive on Friday, and finally by a budget meeting of the full council on February 22. Increases in the precepts for the police and fire authorities will also be added to the final bill, as will parish council precepts in some areas.

North Yorkshire Police Authority is considering an increase in its precept of 2.6 per cent, and will make its final decision at a meeting today.

North Yorkshire Fire Authority has discussed increases of up to five per cent, and will meet on February 14 to make a decision.

Updated: 10:20 Monday, February 07, 2005