Residents are being invited to share their views on the council’s initial budget proposals for the 2025/26 financial year.
This year, the council is planning to use a net budget of over £690m to continue providing its wide range of vital services, including adult care, children’s services, highways and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.
To help protect frontline services, there is a proposed 2.99% increase in the authority’s share of the council tax. This is smaller than the 4.99% increase allowed by the government, with the council instead choosing to use nearly £8m of its reserves to balance the books.
Cllr Martin Hill OBE, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This remains a challenging time for local government. On top of rising demand for services, the increases in the national living wage and employers’ national insurance contributions introduced by the government are likely to push our costs even higher.
“In addition, the government has recently announced that it’s axing the £9m we receive through the Rural Services Delivery Grant, while it directs additional funding to big cities like Birmingham and Leeds.
“However, we feel it’s important we protect our frontline services as we know many residents rely on our support. So, we’ve proposed a 2.99% rise in council tax to help avoid the need for cuts. The government seems keen for us to raise council tax by more than that, but we know this remains a difficult time for many families and have chosen to draw on our reserves instead.
“We’re able to do this thanks to our careful financial management over the years, which means that Lincolnshire County Council remains in a stable position compared to other authorities. In addition, despite the proposed increase, our council tax rate is set to remain one of the lowest in the country for a shire county.”
Members of the public can share their views on the proposals by completing the survey available at www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk before 28 January. Any feedback will be considered by the executive at their meeting on 4 February, when final proposals will be agreed. These will then be put before the full council at their meeting on 21 February.