The Black Country borough with the highest council tax rates has been unveiled

Walsall residents have recently received their council tax bills for the 2025/26 year, revealing a 4.99% increase from the previous year.

The rise was approved in February, with two percent of the hike ringfenced for adult social care, one of the authority’s biggest financial burdens.

The latest figures show that Walsall residents pay the highest amount of council tax rates across the four Black Country councils.

For the average property Band D, the 2025/26 rates are £2188.58 for Walsall Council, followed by Sandwell at £2133.45, Wolverhampton at £2104.29 and Dudley with the lowest fees in the Black Country at £2038.57.

Deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance, councillor Mark Statham, has defended the rates, saying that they are ‘excellent value for money’.

He explained that variations in the rates between councils can be dependent on several factors.

Statham also called on the government to address funding for local authorities, describing the current situation as unsustainable.

Councillor Statham said: “Despite financial pressure and rising costs, Walsall Council continues to offer excellent value for money for all our residents and businesses.

“We have a track record of strong financial management and have set a balanced budget for 2025/26.

“This is a positive step which will help us deliver on our ambitions for the borough and invest in our communities.

“There can be many reasons for the variation in council tax charges between local authorities.

“Variances in funding allocations, the services and level of services each local authority offers, and the differences between how each authority operates can all be factors.

“This results in some authorities being more dependent on locally raised council tax income to finance spending on essential services.

“These are challenging times, and many councils have had to increase their council tax by far more.

“It is not sustainable for us to keep raising council tax and using our reserves to balance the budget.

“What we and our residents need is a fair, multi-year government settlement in future years and the government must address funding for local authorities to enable councils to meet rising demand and costs, particularly in social care.”