Boston council proposes 2.99% increase in tax bill

The proposed increase will be discussed at a Boston Borough Council meeting on 3 March

Council tax payers in Boston are likely to see the borough council's share of the bill rise by 2.99% next year.

The increase is part of the draft budget for 2025/26 agreed by the cabinet which will be discussed at a full council meeting on 3 March.

If approved, the authority's share of council tax for a Band D property will be £223.65, an increase of £7.56 on this year.

Council leader Anne Dorrian said putting together the budget had been "extremely challenging for Boston".

She cited reasons for the rising costs including contract expenses and reductions in central government support, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Boston Town Area Committee's portion of the bill will rise by 72p to £81.09 a year.

'It's just ridiculous'

During the meeting on Wednesday, Dorrian highlighted internal drainage board levies as being an "ever-increasing pressure", with an additional £102,000 required for 2025/26, taking the total to £2,927,050.

"It's just ridiculous. It's clearly not sustainable on a now £3m-a-year bill for this borough to pick up," she said.

Dorrian also proposed reintroducing a councillor grant scheme, with each member being given £1,000 to be allocated to projects within their wards.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.