The amount of council tax paid to fund fire and rescue services in Staffordshire is set to increase by 4.85%.
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel next week.
It would mean a Band D property paying £84.25 over the year for the fire precept, a rise of £3.90.
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams said the financial plan would enable the servicer to have the resources required to meet local and national targets.
“Since the last budget was set we have seen the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces leading to a significant increase in energy costs with inflation running at over 10% in recent months placing significant pressure on household as well as fire and rescue budgets.
“In December 2021 I published my local Fire and Rescue Plan which sets out priorities and service expectations on behalf of Staffordshire residents. These include a flexible and responsive Service, protecting people and places, helping people most at risk stay safe and ensuring that we have a Fire and Rescue Service fit for tomorrow.
“I have worked with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to address future years’ budget gaps through a number of planning sessions, and I am pleased to present a five-year budget that incorporates around £1million of cash savings delivered as part of this transformation work.
“This has improved efficiency and effectiveness of the service but there is still more to do to address funding moving forward.
“This medium term financial strategy will ensure that the Chief Fire Officer has the resources needed to deliver on the local plan and national government priorities.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
The commissioner said that he was aware of the challenges facing household finances as the cost of living crisis continues.
“The proposed increase in the fire and rescue council tax precept over the four-year period of this strategy is once again lower than the forecast cumulative rate of inflation and wage growth.
“I will always aim to keep council tax as low as possible without compromising safety. The council tax proposal is also below the referendum limit which was set at £5 for fire and rescue authorities in 2023/24.
“I am acutely aware that household budgets are tight, so I expect every pound of taxpayer’s money invested in fire and rescue to be spent wisely and for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to continually seek efficiencies.
“To balance this medium term financial strategy without using further reserves, £0.7million of additional savings will be required by 2026. This will be challenging but given a good record of making savings, smarter use of technology, more efficient crewing models and to share more buildings and back-office costs with Staffordshire Police, I believe this is achievable.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
The budget and council tax proposals will be considered at the panel meeting on Monday (13th February).
