Lincoln city residents will see their tax increase by a further 2.99% after councillors voted to approve the rise on Monday.
The majority vote by the City of Lincoln Council’s full council meeting on Tuesday will mean that Band D council tax residents will pay an extra £8.46 per year to the authority alone, bringing their total bill to £299.25 per annum.
It comes on top of a 4.99% increase by Lincolnshire County Council and a 5.41% rise for Lincolnshire Police’s precept.
With all three combined, Band D council tax residents in Lincoln will be paying a total of £2,094.12 per year, an extra 4.74% compared to the previous year.
Labour Council leader Councillor Ric Metcalfe said members “do not need reminding we are still facing some significant budget pressures”.
However, he said the council was “punching way, way, way beyond” in many of the things it was achieving.
“We are a relatively small city authority with a very small tax base,” he said.
“But we achieve some very remarkable things for our residents.”
“The [budget] is an excellent plan, it delivers great things for Lincoln and provides a sustainable base upon which we can move forward.”
He pointed to ambitions for further urban regeneration projects which aim to bring more jobs and more prosperity to the city.
The City of Lincoln Council Full Council meeting on February 28. | Image: Daniel Jaines
Labour supporters also praised the work carried out so far, including in the Cornmarket.
The city council has a savings target of £1.75 million to be delivered by 26/27 on top of more than £10 million already made over the past 10 years.
Opposition members raised concerns around subjects including the Western Growth Corridor, climate change and basic services such as bus station and community support.
Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Clare Smaller said she appreciated the need to make savings “given the difficult situation everyone’s facing”, however, was “disappointed” by the tax rise.
“I appreciate costs are increasing, however, this would have been a really good opportunity to be able to send a good message to to say we’ve used a little of our reserves to offer some respite to our residents.”
Tory group leader Councillor Tom Dyer said his group would not support the Medium Term Financial settlement, however voted in support of the council tax rise “given the financial difficulties that council faces we must ensure that we can continue to do over a balanced budget to make our service delivery.”
A Conservative amendment to the budget looked to increase spending on tackling poor quality housing standards in Lincoln’s private rented sector, improve council housing tenant experience and support residents with the cost of living.
Meanwhile Liberal Democrat amendments aimed to improve bus shelter provision in the city and improve pride in the area.
All the amendments were voted down by the council’s leadership.
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Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
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