Plans for the police and the fire service in Cumbria to raise their portion of the council tax are set to be given the green light next week.
Members of Cumbria police, fire and crime panel are recommended to approve measures to raise the council tax precept for the police by 4.36 per cent and for the fire service by 2.98 per cent when they meet on January 31.
The proposed increase in the precept will see a Band D council taxpayer pay £12.96 more to the police and £2.70 more to the fire service each year.
According to documents from the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, the majority of commissioners intend to use their power to increase the precept by the maximum amount of £13 for a band D property in 2024/25.
The proposed rise in the police precept on council tax will provide £55.7 million for the commissioner and the constabulary. The total gross expenditure for the constabulary and commissioner is £177.6 million.
The majority of the rest of the budget is provided by Home Office, with £90.3 million in core and ringfenced grants.
A report said: “In the short term the proposed precept increase, will enable the budget to be balanced without reducing services. In the medium term, the precept increase will contribute to the sustainability of the enhanced officer numbers. However, under current financial assumptions, there will still be a need to identify savings beyond 2024/25 to balance the budget over the period of the medium-term financial forecast period.
“Over the life of the medium-term financial forecast the net cost of policing services (is estimated to increase by £17.708m from the 2024/25 budget of £158.014m to £175.722m by 2028/29.
“This is due to the ongoing impact of increased police officer numbers, increased police officer pension contributions, inflation on salary and supplies and services costs, offset by a reduced cost of pensions. Police pension costs fluctuate year on year and, to a large degree, will be funded by a central government grant.
“Whilst other costs are subject to increase, work during the budget process has been undertaken to challenge requirements and reduce cost.”
The proposed 2.98 per cent rise in the precept for Cumbria Commissioner Fire & Rescue Authority will provide £16.7 million in funding. For a Band D council taxpayer this is an annual increase of £2.70.
The total council tax people pay is made up of precepts for their local unitary authority – which takes the lion’s share – parish and town councils and the crime commissioner.
Members of the police, fire and crime panel are set to approve the rise in the precept for the police and fire service on January 31 at Cumbria House.
