Freeze on city's share of council tax
A freeze on Lincoln’s share of council tax for 2026/27 is being proposed to help ease financial pressures on residents.
This proposal from City of Lincoln Council follows the Government’s Fair Funding Review, which is addressing longstanding inequalities in the way councils are funded, particularly those in more deprived areas, like Lincoln.
After 15 years of being underfunded, the council has relied more heavily on council tax than many better funded authorities. The improved Government settlement now gives the council the chance to offer some relief to residents through a one-year council tax freeze.
If approved by the Executive on January 20, the proposal will go to Full Council in March for final sign-off.
Cllr Naomi Tweddle, Leader of City of Lincoln Council, said: “These are still difficult times for many of our residents. The extra funding from Government allows us to ease some of the financial pressures people are facing. I fully support freezing council tax for next year and hope my fellow Executive councillors will do the same.
“The cost-of-living crisis continues to affect many families, and we know a significant number of our residents are living in poverty. Careful financial management, combined with the new funding settlement, puts us in a position to help, and I believe we should.
“This council tax freeze reflects our commitment to fairness and to building a better future for everyone in Lincoln.”
For a Band C property in Lincoln the city council’s tax share is £281.76 per property with the rest of the bill made up by £1,444.20 for Lincolnshire County Council and £282.80 for Lincolnshire Police – these two latter portions are still likely to rise in the next financial year. The county council’s proposals include a 4.99 per cent increase (the maximum allowed), which it says is needed to meet the demands of increased costs and to balance the books.
Current council tax costs per household
- Band A: £1,507.32
- Band B: £1,758.54
- Band C: £2,009.76
- Band D: £2,260.98