Taxpayers asked to fork out extra £13 a year to help plug West Midlands Police's £28m funding gap
Households served by West Midlands Police face forking out an extra £13 in Council Tax towards the cost of running the force.
The force, which gets most of its finance from the Government, needs to plug a £27.7 million funding gap in the 2024/5 budget.
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who is responsible for setting the police authority's budget, said that without an increase in precept, it will be forced into making further cuts to the 999 service. The average household's £13 per year increase in council tax, will raise £9.2 million.
Mr Foster explained: “I appreciate any kind of rise is not what people want to hear in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
“Deciding on the precept level is always a challenging process, particularly in recent years where I have had to strike a balance between unprecedented financial challenges and ensuring an appropriate level of policing service that our communities expect.
“When I was elected, I said I would rebuild community policing, and that is the job that I am getting on with. People told me that they wanted to see more police officers out on their streets. We need preventative, proactive, problem solving and visible police officers to keep people, families, businesses and communities safe and secure.
“I would encourage everybody in the West Midlands, if you work, live or study in the region to respond to this consultation.”
He is now asking taxpayers' views on what the region's main policing priorities should be and for views on the Government's announcement that would enable a Council Tax rise of up to £13 per year for a Band D property - £1.08 per month.
The extra money collected will go directly towards preventing, tackling and reducing crime to keep people, families, businesses and communities safe.
The West Midlands Police Precept is among the lowest in the country at £202.55 for Band D properties. Staffordshire Police has a precept of £260.57, West Mercia Police’s precept is £264.50 and Warwickshire Police has a tax precept of £276.71 per year.
Most properties in the West Midlands are in band A and B.
The authority said an increase of £13 for the year 2024/25 would mean that West Midlands Police could continue to meet its costs and provide services, although the budget will remain under pressure.
