Harlow Council Proposes Council Tax Freeze for Fourth Consecutive Year
Harlow Council plans to freeze its share of Council Tax for 2025-2026, defying national trends of rising taxes.
Harlow, Essex, Council Tax, Budget, Government Funding
Harlow: Harlow Council is freezing its share of Council Tax again. This will be the fourth year in a row. While many councils are raising their taxes, Harlow is sticking to its plan.
The freeze is part of the budget for 2025-2026. The council will announce the full budget tomorrow. It will go to Cabinet on February 13 and be approved at Full Council on February 27.
Despite a 21% cut in core funding from the government, Harlow is managing to keep taxes steady. This makes Harlow the only council in the country to freeze its tax for four years.
The council aims to fully fund its missions and priorities. They want to transform the town while keeping costs down for residents.
Councillor Dan Swords, the council leader, highlighted the achievement. He noted that while other councils raise taxes, Harlow is maintaining its rates. Residents will not pay more for services this year.
Residents in Band C will continue to pay £4.93 a week. This covers a wide range of services, which are improving month by month.
Councillor James Leppard, the finance cabinet member, echoed this sentiment. He emphasized that Harlow is unique in freezing taxes while others increase them. The budget will support all council missions without raising costs.
Most of the Council Tax collected goes to Harlow Council services. The rest funds Essex County Council, Essex Police, and Essex Fire & Rescue Service, all of which are proposing tax increases this year.