Residents’ views wanted over council tax rise proposals to fund Humberside Police operations
The Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is asking residents for their views on police funding – and how much extra they are willing to pay for the service.
Jonathan Evison is asking people to look at each option on offer and fill in on online survey.
This is part of a consultation which means the Government has imposed a duty on PCCs to consult the public about how much is added to council tax bills to contribute towards the cost of police operations.
PCC Jonathan Evison said: “When I was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner Humberside Police had already made a significant investment in increasing the number of police officers to around 600 more than the low point in 2016.
“There is improved visibility of officers, a much-improved 101 call service, and a desire to improve the force even further.
“There are still challenging savings targets to be met and I will be working with the Chief Constable to ensure we deliver an effective service to our residents.”
Mr Evison has set out three options:
○ Option 1: An increase of £4.99 per year (10p per week) on a Band D property, which would mean police officer numbers would decrease by around 28.
○ Option 2: An increase of £9.99 per year (19p per week) on a Band D property, which would mean police officer numbers would remain the same.
○ Option 3: An increase of £14.99 per year (29p per week) on a Band D property, which would mean police officer numbers increase by around 28. This option would require a public referendum.
Mr Evison added: “The majority of properties within the Humberside Police area are in lower Council Tax bands than D, on which the Government bases its financial forecasts. 34% of households are in Band A , 21% in Band B and 16% in Band C so, for the vast majority, the proposed council tax increases are smaller.”
Go to tinyurl.com/y52zr2sm to fill in the short survey.
Click here to complete the online survey