Blaby council approves a 2.99% council tax rise starting in April to maintain vital services and protect vulnerable residents.
Band D property owners will pay £5.65 more each year for the 2025/26 financial year. This increase only affects the district council’s part, as other taxes cover county, police, and fire services, and parish councils have separate charges.
Councillor Wright spoke at the meeting, acknowledging that the economy is hard on folks. Raising taxes is always a tough call, but they must keep vital services going and protect vulnerable people, making a tax increase the only option.
Wright mentioned future budget losses. Not raising taxes could mean a £3.1 million loss. She knows people struggle with rising costs, so the council has £325,000 in reserve for hardship cases to help residents who need it most.
Councillor Cousin suggested a smaller tax increase, setting it at 1.29 percent. He said the higher rate would add £112,000 to reserves.
Councillor Brown argued for the maximum rate, stating that no one knows what next year will bring and the council must fund essential community services. Funding is crucial for everyone’s well-being, therefore, the council rejected Cousin’s proposal.
Councillor Hartshorn shared news on Facebook, stating other parties voted against the amendment. This means folks pay more from April.
Hartshorn then suggested using the extra £112,000 which could have aided homeless people. Labour supported this idea, but others voted it down, and the proposal failed.