Issue - meetings

The Chairman introduced the report which set out the declaration of the estimated surplus on the Council’s Collection Fund relating to Council Tax at the end of March 2025 and how it was to be shared amongst the constituent precepting bodies.

The report also set out the Council Tax base calculation for 2025/26. The tax base was a key component in the calculating of both the budget requirement and the Council Tax charge.

Both of these matters were a legal requirement as set out in the Local Government Finance Act.

The estimated surplus on the Collection Fund relating to Council Tax was stated at £1,868,700 of which £275,600 was related to West Lindsey. This amount would be included in the Council’s base budget for 2025/26.

For context, the Chairman advised the surplus for West Lindsey for 2023/24 had been £290,100.

The taxbase had increased from 2024/25 by 2.07% which was as a result of a number of factors including new build properties, discounts available, exempt dwellings, the amount of Council Tax support offered and the estimated collection rate.

The collection rate had been set at 98.3% for 2025/26 which would be closely monitored during the year for the impact of the cost of living on households.

Appendix 1 set out the Council Tax base calculation and the taxbase per parish area.

With the recommendations moved and seconded on being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED that:-

(a)    the estimated surplus of £275,600 be accepted and declared as accruing in the Council’s Collection Fund at 31 March 2025 relating to an estimated Council Tax surplus;

(b)    the Council uses its element of the Collection Fund surplus/deficit in calculating the level of Council Tax in 2025/26; and

(c)    in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulation 1992 (as amended) the amount calculated by the Council, as its Council Tax Base for the whole of the District area for 2025/26 be set at 32,756.75 as detailed in this report and appendices.