County residents to pay more for policing this year after council tax rise agreed
Staffordshire Police is the latest force to sign off on plans to raise council tax this year.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis has increased the force's precept by £13.48 a year for a Band D property, taking the annual total to £238.57.
The six per cent rise will come in from April. It has been backed by the Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel and follows a rise of £8.53 a year in 2020-21.
The increase – which is just below the maximum allowed of £15 a year – will take the force's budget for 2021-22 up to around £220m.
Conservative PCC Mr Ellis said he has "always tried" to keep the precept down and that this year's rise was the second smallest increase of all 43 police force areas.
He added: "Now more than ever, when people have been furloughed and it is so difficult for everyone, I feel it is not the time to ask the public for as much as you possibly can, just because you may have the power to do so.
"I decided on enough to ensure the continued good policing we’ve all come to expect, but I’m very aware of what awful circumstances have been caused by the pandemic.
"People in Staffordshire have already paid locally for a boost in an additional 91 police officers over the last few years and another 90 will be in place from Home Office funding by the end of March, of which we have seen and felt the benefit.
"They have also paid for investment in other police capabilities such as roads policing and enhanced digital investigations.
"Public services have been heroic in their efforts during these awful times. The ongoing effects of the virus and catastrophic impact on businesses, jobs and livelihoods means getting the balance right, between investing in services and being clear that people are hurting financially, is vital."
The results of a public consultation into the precept are yet to be published.
The panel will consider Mr Ellis’s proposals for the precept towards Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service at a meeting on February 15.
The total amount of funding for policing across England and Wales will rise by £636m to £15.6 billion this year, which Ministers say will help forces recruit 20,000 new officers by 2023.
Last month Staffordshire County Council announced a five per cent rise in council tax.
