Politics
Liverpool Residents Vote on £8.2M Council Tax Increase for Community Services
Liverpool residents will vote in November on whether to approve a council tax adjustment that would raise an estimated £8.2 million yearly for community centres and family services in the city's 30 wards.
How we reported this
Liverpool City Council has placed a community services referendum on the November 2026 ballot that asks voters to approve a one-year council tax adjustment of 1.5 per cent above the current cap. The measure would apply to all domestic properties in the city and generate dedicated revenue for neighbourhood centres, youth outreach teams and adult day programmes run by the council and partner charities.
The vote comes after the council's 2026-27 budget papers showed that central government grants for social care have fallen by £14 million compared with 2023 levels. Local authority documents state that without new local revenue the council expects to reduce opening hours at 12 community centres and cut 45 part-time posts in family support services by April 2027.
Effects on daily services for residents
If passed, the adjustment would add roughly £28 a year to the average Band C council tax bill in Liverpool. The extra funds are projected to keep 22 community centres open five days a week and maintain current staffing at the city's 18 family hubs. Policy analysts note that these hubs currently serve 9,400 families each year with parenting classes, food support and debt advice.
Residents in wards such as Anfield, Everton and Speke would see the largest direct changes because those areas host the highest number of council-run youth clubs. The legislation states that 60 per cent of the new revenue must be spent inside the ward where it is raised, with the remainder pooled for city-wide programmes such as home-visiting services for older people.
Next steps before polling day
The council will publish the full text of the referendum question and an information booklet by 1 August. Under the Local Government Finance Act 1992, a simple majority of votes cast is required for the measure to take effect from 1 April 2027. The government says the policy will allow Liverpool to set its own priorities for community spending without further reliance on national grants.
Ballot papers will reach households from 20 October. The council's elections office has confirmed that polling stations will operate in the usual 142 locations across the city on 5 November.