We are responsible for collecting Council Tax from Cambridge residents to help pay for the work of local councils and the emergency services. Council Tax is a property-based tax which is payable on most domestic properties. What you pay is divided between the county council, the police and crime commissioner, the combined authority, the fire authority and the city council.
There is one Council Tax bill per property, whether it is owned or rented, and the people who live there are normally responsible for paying it. Our budget for this year addresses the significant financial challenges we face from a combination of rising costs, years of reduced government funding, increased demand from Cambridge's growing population and the legacy of the pandemic.
To help manage these pressures we are continuing to implement our own transformation programmed, called 'Our Cambridge', to create a more modern and community-focused council. The aim is to deliver services through better use of technology and new ways of working.
As part of this programme we are working more closely with charities, businesses and other public sector organisations to find new ways to share resources and work together.
Council Tax is divided between the county council, the police and crime commissioner, the fire authority and the city council. We receive income from fees and charges for services, commercial property rents and Housing Benefit subsidy. Income also comes from your Council Tax payments, grants from the government and a share of local business rates.
