Council tax could rise by 50p a month to fund police across Shropshire
Council tax could rise by an average of about 50p per month in Shropshire as part of plans to provide more funding for the police.
Members of the public are being consulted on the plans, which were put forward by West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion.
Mr Campion said the increase in tax would protect the number of officers, support a continued reformation of the force and allow extra investment in tools for police officers.
In February, the commissioner will be setting his budget, which not only funds the police force but also the commissioning activities that help support crime reduction and victim services.
But Mr Campion said there was uncertainty around central funding for the coming year caused by the December election, and that less information will be available for the consultation than in previous years.
At this stage he is proposing a 2.94 per cent increase for the policing portion of council tax, which equates to approximately 50p extra per month for a Band D household.
Focus
For completeness, and due to the uncertainty around central funding, the commissioner has included two other scenarios in his consultation. The first is based on a two per cent council tax increase – a cap that is currently imposed by Government – and the second is based on the maximum that was allowed for the current financial year, equivalent to an increase of 5.54 per cent.
Mr Campion said: “During my term of office I have been able to focus West Mercia Police to spend public money as efficiently as possible before I consider asking the public for more. We have made progress, but there is more to be made.
“Through last year’s budget we were able to increase police officer numbers to the highest level since 2012, and with the addition of the share from the government’s 20,000-officer uplift we will see that increase. It is important that we are able to allocate funding that enables us to protect these numbers so communities can continue to reap the benefits, and the force can deal with the demands placed on them due to the changing nature of crime.
“I set out to be the commissioner who represents the public in policing, so your views are important. I would therefore encourage you to take part in the consultation so you can help shape this important decision in how your local police services are funded.”
The consultation is available at bit.ly/2ZSB4PH
