Politics
St Albans raises council tax £78 yearly; funds £410,000 for road repairs.
Households in all wards face an average £78 annual increase from April 2027 while the council directs an extra £410,000 to resurfacing works on 12 local streets.
How we reported this
St Albans City Council voted 28 to 19 on 7 July to adopt the 2026-27 budget, which raises the Band D council tax by 4.8 per cent and reallocates spending from evening community transport grants to carriageway maintenance. The measure takes effect on 1 April 2027 and applies uniformly across the district.
Why the vote occurred now
The council must set its budget before the start of the financial year under the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Officers reported a £2.3 million shortfall in the highways maintenance reserve after central government reduced the 2026 highways grant by 11 per cent. Council papers show the shortfall would have left 18 streets without scheduled resurfacing until 2029.
Residents in the Marshalswick and Sopwell wards will see crews begin work on Batchwood Drive and Holywell Hill before the end of 2027. At the same time, the withdrawal of the evening minibus subsidy removes the last service linking the city centre to Redbourn after 8 pm on weekdays. Passengers who used the route for shift work at the Hertfordshire County Hospital will need to arrange alternative transport.
Budget figures and distribution
The adopted budget document records total net expenditure of £48.7 million. Of that sum, £3.9 million is allocated to highways, an increase of £410,000 from the previous year. The same document shows a reduction of £165,000 in the community transport line, which previously supported two evening routes. No other service lines were altered by the final amendment.
Policy analysts note that the tax rise will add £78 to the average Band D bill, taking it to £1,702. Households in Band A properties will pay an additional £52. The council states the extra revenue will be ring-fenced for the listed resurfacing projects and will not be used for other purposes.
The finance team will publish the final billing notices in February 2027. Residents who qualify for council tax support can apply through the existing online portal from 1 December 2026.