Lincolnshire Council to Increase Council Tax by 2.99 Per Cent

Lincolnshire council will raise council tax. They agreed on a 2.99% increase. This happened during a meeting on Friday. The yearly tax for a Band D home goes up, changing from £1,578.69 to £1,625.85.

This tax increase should bring in £11.7 million. Martin Hill presented the budget and said the council has less money because the new government made things harder.

Many councils face serious money problems as costs are up, and the economy is weak. Hill noted a big shift in funding, where urban areas get more money now, causing rural areas to suffer financially.

The central government favors cities, which hurts counties like Lincolnshire. Birmingham can raise taxes over 4.99% without needing a referendum, allowing them to raise taxes by 7.5%.

Birmingham also got £40 million extra through a government recovery grant. Lincolnshire might lose £9 million because the Rural Service Delivery Grant ended. Phil Dilks asked why they didn’t raise taxes more, wondering about the upcoming elections on Thursday, May 1.

The council accepted Dilks’ change and will use £1 million from reserves to create a flood response fund. This will help residents after flooding, and the council aims to be better prepared.

Dilks said climate change is a factor and to expect more floods in the future. Flood prevention matters, and the fund can help those hit hardest.

Karen Lee supported his idea, stating that flooding hurts homes and businesses. She thinks Lincolnshire people must get fast help and that this fund will provide needed resources.