Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams is asking people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to have their say on how much they would be prepared to pay for policing and fire & rescue services in the region.
Funding for the services is made up of a mix of central government grants, combined with the ‘precept’ – the contribution residents make as part of their annual council tax.
The Staffordshire Commissioner is responsible for setting the budget for Staffordshire Police, and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, including the amount of council tax used for both services.
For 2022/23, residents of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are asked to share their views on the following options, based on a Band D property currently paying £238.57 each year for police and £78.78 for fire & rescue.
Police services:
- No increase in precept, which would lead to a reduction in policing services
- An extra £7.13 per year (2.99%), which would offer some protection for existing services
- An extra £10 per year (4.19%), which would protect existing services and help to fund improvements.
Fire and rescue services:
- No increase in precept, which would lead to reductions in fire and rescue services
- An extra £1.57 per year (1.99%), which would help protect existing services.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams said: ‘Budgeting for the coming year is challenging because of uncertainty related to Covid-19, inflation and the likelihood of pay increases. Government is proposing a three-year grant settlement this year, which helps financial planning in these difficult times.
‘As part of setting the budget I require the services, and my office, to consider where they can make savings and I will consider all options, such as making better use of technology or sharing buildings. I will always try to keep your council tax low and I will only ask for more if I believe it is necessary to maintain or improve the services we receive.
‘This coming year, I believe some additional investment is required to protect our services in these uncertain times and a little more will help our new Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer to implement the local plans sooner and keep us safe.
‘I would therefore welcome your thoughts on these options.’
The Staffordshire Commissioner has set out the strategic direction for Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service in his recently published local plans for both services.
The council tax consultation starts today (14 December 2021) and runs until 11 January 2022. Have your say here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6ZHHMRH
