Council tax bills in Gloucestershire could increase to fund policing (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting WGS NEWS to 80360, or email
us
Council tax bills in Gloucestershire could increase to fund policing, says Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl
11:30am Thursday 24th January 2013 in News By Ian Craig
RESIDENTS have until Monday to have their say on the police budget for Gloucestershire.
Newly appointed Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl has been considering the force’s budget for the next financial year and has suggested it should be increased slightly.
The three options under considerations are:
- An increase of one per cent. This would see bills increase by £2 a year for a Band D property and will raise an additional £450,000.
- An increase of two per cent. This would increase bills by £3.99 a year for a Band D property and raise around £900,000.
- An increase of three per cent. This would see bills increase by £5.99 a year for a Band D property and raise around £1,350,000.
These options will be considered at a meeting of the county’s police and crime panel on February 6.
Mr Surl said he had consulted as widely as possible before making his suggestions.
“Everyone knows how hard it is to make ends meet at the moment but all of the options under consideration are less than the 3.9 per cent increase the Police Authority was planning as part of its mid-term financial strategy,” he said.
“On the one hand the government is suggesting we freeze council tax but on the other it’s reduced our grant by nearly two per cent.
“That means that if we leave the tax as it s, we won’t be able to absorb the cuts the government expects us to make next year and in subsequent years without affecting frontline services.
“Because of future spending restrictions the government has in the pipeline, this could be our final chance to raise money to invest in the service for some time to come.”
Comments on the proposals are open until midday on Monday January 28 and can be made by emailing budget@gloucestershire.police.uk or writing to One Waterwells, Waterwells Drive, Quedgeley, Gloucester, GL2 2AN.
