Would Greater Lincolnshire mayor hopefuls raise your council tax even higher?
The six candidates in the running to become the first-ever Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire have each set out whether or not they would bring in an additional council tax charge.
Under the devolution deal for the newly-created mayoralty and Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA), the Mayor has the option to bring in a mayoral charge, or precept, on Lincolnshire residents’ council tax bills.
This would be to fund ‘mayoral functions’, but essentially could be used to pay for projects in the region.
Most of the candidates vying for votes on Thursday (May 1) have ruled out using the power at all, and one has gone further and said they would abolish even having the option.
Conservative – Rob Waltham
Conservative Rob Waltham, who is the current North Lincolnshire Council leader, reiterated his position from the start of the campaign of never using the mayoral precept power, if elected.
“I’ve also said I want to make sure that no-one else can have one. So I’m going to remove it from the constitution,” he pledged, if elected.
He acknowledged that did not stop a future Mayor bringing it back into the constitution, but said to do so would set the tone and reinforce that commitment.
“As a council leader, I’ve got a strong track record of keeping council tax as low as possible,” he added.
This year’s council tax rise in North Lincolnshire of 4.89 per cent, including the two per cent on the adult social care precept, is the highest in the area for some time having only increased by a smaller amount in recent years including a freeze on general council tax in 2023/24.
“I believe local residents can spend their money better than anybody else,” he said.
“Devolution is about taking the money we’ve already put in and using it to spend on our priorities in Lincolnshire.”
He vowed if elected to fight for more money from Government for the county too.
Green Party – Sally Anne Horscroft
The Green Party’s Sally Anne Horscroft said she did not intend to use the precept, but did not rule out its possible use, if she was elected the Mayor.
“I have no plans at the moment to to implement a mayoral precept but, obviously, I could not rule it out for the future if it became necessary,” she said.
Labour Party – Jason Stockwood
“As Mayor, I will not introduce a new mayoral tax precept,” said Labour’s Jason Stockwood.
“People are already feeling the pressure of rising costs, and I believe they should keep more of what they earn, not pay more.
“I grew up here in Grimsby, raised on a council estate by a single parent. I know first-hand that every penny counts and that families know how to manage their money better than anyone else.”
Referencing his track record running successful businesses, he added he knew how to ‘balance the books and deliver value for money’.
“If elected as your Mayor, my focus will be on getting the most out of every pound we already have, not digging deeper into residents’ pockets,” he said.
“I’ll back working people, support local businesses, and drive investment into our region.
“Our area needs real leadership rooted in real world experience, not another politician out of touch with reality.”
Liberal Democrat – Trevor Young
The Liberal Democrat candidate Trevor Young indicated he would not introduce a precept either.
He said he was ‘totally against the idea that the elected Mayor could precept for certain projects’.
“The fear is that they will, as other areas, quickly establish large mayoral teams of staff at a huge cost to the council taxpayer,” he said.
Lincolnshire Independents – Marianne Overton
“The Mayoral £24m is small compared to say the county budget of £1.1bn,” said Lincolnshire Independents’ Marianne Overton, referencing the annual £24m spend a year the mayor and combined authority have generally to spend.
“To build a stronger, safer and more prosperous Lincolnshire, we need leadership that unites people, not party agendas.
“As Mayor I will be using the funding in partnership , encouraging combined support from the combined authority and lots of other organisations.”
Reform UK – Dame Andrea Jenkyns
Reform UK’s Dame Andrea Jenkyns ruled out use of the mayoral precept if she was elected.
“I want to make it abundantly clear to all residents that I will not use a Mayoral precept on Council tax. This is a firm commitment to you, the hardworking people of our community.
“Furthermore, I pledge to establish a Lincolnshire DOGE (Department Of Government Efficiency) to identify and root out wasteful spending at every level.
“I believe it’s about time your money worked as hard for you as you do to earn it.
“Every pound you entrust to local government should deliver maximum value and benefit to our community.”
She argued by focusing on efficiencies rather than taxes essential services could be maintained while respecting household budgets.
“Rest assured, keeping taxes low while delivering excellent services remains my top priority,” she added.
“Together, we will build a more fiscally responsible local government that truly serves its citizens.”
