THE next Lord Mayor of York has shrugged off criticism about the estimated £5,000 cost of the ceremony ushering him into office.

City of York Council has predicted the ceremony will cost about £5,000 – approximately £1,000 more than last year’s ceremony.

The extra cost of the occasion is believed to be 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 was used for free last year. Emma Boon, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s highly insensitive of organisers to switch back to a more expensive venue at a time when the public finances are still in crisis.

“It looks like organisers are out of touch with reality and with York’s taxpayers.”

The event will be paid for by the Lord Mayor’s annual hospitality budget of £17,000.

The coming year’s holder of the ancient office, Coun David Horton, 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: “I took the decision to return the event to the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall to restore the historic links the Civic Party enjoys with the guilds of the city. “The venue is ideal and does the event justice. 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.”

As well as the cost of the venue, the money is likely to be spent on catering for councillors and civic dignitaries, flowers and acoustic costs.