Ilkley Parish Council is to charge the community almost 20 per cent extra as it prepares to fund Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

One councillor resigned before this week’s budget meeting, saying he was unable to support other councillors’ views.

The parish council will levy a precept of £131,300 for its services in the coming financial year.

Much of the increase will be spent directly on events to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the council said, but it has also been necessary to set aside money for election provision.

Last year’s precept was £109,943, topped up to more than £115,000 with the help of money from the council’s reserves pot.

In a statement released after Monday’s meeting, the parish council said the need to maintain sufficient reserves for unexpected future expenditure had been discussed.

The council is expected to have £65,000 in its reserves at the end of March.

A Band D household will be charged £19.25 by Ilkley Parish Council, on top of its council tax to Bradford Council, in 2012-13.

The parish council announced the resignation of Councillor Richard Reed in an agreed statement on Monday.

“Richard has made this decision as he did not feel able to support the views expressed by other members of the Council to raise additional funds from the parish precept to pay for events in the town to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee,” said the parish council.

Mr Reed additionally did not realise how much the role would impinge on his retirement, and to extent to which he would “have to follow the consensus view agreed by the council”.

Another member of the council, Councillor Paul Kitching, spoke out at last month’s meeting, saying he could not support a rise But at a special full council meeting on Monday called to discuss the 2012 to 2013 budget, all ten councillors present - including Coun Kitching - backed the £131,300 precept after a behind-closed-doors debate on Monday.

The vote on the budget was taken in public, but a majority of councillors present backed a resolution to exclude the press and public from the main budget debate.

Chairman Councillor Heathcliffe Bowen said it was felt discussions of the various pots in the budget were better done in camera.

The council’s awards and projects pot has been reduced to £50,000 in the year ahead. Christmas lights spending will be £16,500 and £15,000 has been allocated to a community events pot.

The council has set aside £6,000 for the annual concert on The Grove.

Events funded from these pots could be linked to the Jubilee.