Approximately 17% of funding for our police service receives comes from you, local council tax payers, in the form of a policing precept payment on your bill.
The remaining funding comes from Government grants.
After six years of cutbacks, the Government announced in December that it would not cut the police budget any further. However, as part of its sums the Home Office actually included a 0.6% cut to Merseyside Police’s grant, but assumed that this reduction would be off-set by the Commissioner raising the ‘policing precept’ paid by local taxpayers as part of the Council Tax bill.
By doing so, it was expected that local people would make up the shortfall by paying an extra 1.95% on the policing element of their bill.
By making this increase, Jane would generate an extra £1million for the police budget – enough to protect 26 police officer jobs.
For a Band A household this is an extra 4p a week or £2 a year. This would increase your bill from £106.45 to £108.53 a year. Please find full details of the increase according to Council Tax Band below:
| Council Tax Band |
2015/16 |
2016/17 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | £106.45 | £108.53 | £2.08 |
| Band B | £124.20 | £126.62 | £2.42 |
| Band C | £141.94 | £144.71 | £2.77 |
| Band D | £159.68 | £162.80 | £3.12 |
| Band E | £195.16 | £198.98 | £3.82 |
| Band F | £230.65 | £235.16 | £4.51 |
| Band G | £266.13 | £271.33 | £5.20 |
| Band H | £319.36 | £3.25.60 | £6.24 |
Before making a decision on whether to make the increase expected by the Government, Jane wants to hear your views.
Jane said: “While the Government’s dramatic U-turn on cuts of up to 40% on our police service came as a huge relief last year, the Chancellor was only able to say that he was protecting the police budget by assuming that local tax payers would pay more.
“The Chancellor did not consult local people, he just put together the police’s budget on the expectation that the residents of Merseyside would make up the difference. This has effectively tied my hands - if I don’t increase the amount of council tax collected towards policing, the Force will lose out.
“Merseyside Police has already had its budget cut by more than £77m over the last six years. This has led to the loss of more than 1,600 officers, PCSOs and staff. This is all in a context of rising crime and major budget cuts to our community safety partners. We cannot afford to lose any more.
“I am therefore asking people if they would be willing to contribute an extra 4p a week to help balance the books against this cut by the government and protect vital frontline police services.
The Commissioner added: “I know that everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment and I don’t make this proposal lightly, but unfortunately the Government is forcing me to ask people for a little more if Merseyside Police is to maintain the same high level of service the public have come to expect.
“Looking ahead, we are also facing increases in national insurance, pay and pensions, all of which make it even more important to keep the budget balanced now.
"Your opinion is important to me – please tell me what you think in a quick online survey below or please attend one of the six community events I will be holding across Merseyside.
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner
Jane Kennedy