Plans to increase council tax bills to pay for police and fire services across Staffordshire have been approved.
A meeting of the police, fire and crime panel saw the proposals from Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams given the green light.
It will see the precept – the share of the council tax bill for each service – increase by 4.83% for Staffordshire Police and 4.85% for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service. The increases for a Band D property equate to £12 a year and £3.90 a year respectively
Commissioner Adams said:
“It is my duty to secure effective and efficient Police and Fire & Rescue services that ensure community needs are met while commissioning services to prevent crime, reduce anti-social behaviour and support victims across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
“Significant progress has been made this year. Our police are now more local, more visible and more responsive. Responses to 999 and 101 are improving rapidly and the service is now aiming to have 2,000 officers by April 2024 – 400 more than 2019.
“Our fire and rescue service have tackled more incidents, many due to climate change, and continue to target prevention activity at the most vulnerable while doing even more to support the NHS.
“My office and partners are working to support more victims, notably those impacted by domestic abuse. Staffordshire crime and anti-social behaviour levels remain low and our services remain focussed on keeping our roads, homes and businesses safe.
“We all face financial uncertainty due to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and high inflation so setting this budget has been testing but the financial position in Staffordshire is relatively strong and allows for investment thanks to both services exceeding their savings targets.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
The council tax rises come at a time of soaring household bills, but the commissioner said he had tried to balance limiting increases against the need to support both emergency services.
“I will always aim to keep council tax as low as possible and I am very aware of the pressures on household budgets which is why my proposed increases for 2023/24 are lower than the limits set by Government and below headline inflation rates.
“With the investment set out in these budget plans it is my expectation that our Chief Constable Chris Noble, and our Chief Fire Officer Rob Barber will have the resources they need to continue to keep us all safe.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
