Council tax rise ‘will put more money into policing so force does not move backwards’
Plans to increase Sussex Police’s share of an average council tax bill by £10 a year has been signed off by councillors.
On Friday (January 28), the Sussex Police and Crime Panel gave its support to putting up the force’s precept by 4.7 per cent in the 2022/23 financial year — the maximum allowed without triggering a local referendum.
The increase, proposed by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne, would mean a Band D household would pay £10 more towards policing as part of their council tax bill, roughly equivalent to 83p more per month.
Mrs Bourne said: “Seventyfive per cent of all residences in Sussex are B and D or below.
“So 75 per cent of those council tax payers will not pay more than the 83p a month I am proposing. I think it is really important that we recognise that.
“The other side to think about is the fact we are still the seventh lowest precepted county in the country. So even with this 83p proposed increase, as a taxpayer you will pay the seventh lowest amount in England and Wales.
“Our government grant isn’t the biggest — I think we rank 12th or 13th lowest — and the amount we are getting from government is still frozen.
“One of the few areas that I can actually, with your support, make a change and put more into policing, so we do not move backwards, is around the precept.”
Overall, the precept increase would be expected to bring in an additional £7.9m. But even with additional precept income and government funding, the panel heard that Sussex Police will need to find £5m worth of savings in order to set a balanced budget in 2022/23.
The majority of these savings are to be drawn from ‘ongoing departmental savings plans and contractual changes’, although some would also come from ‘vacancy management’.
This was of concern to some panel members, who had noted that the current Sussex Police vacancy rate was around 7.7 per cent.
While the precept increase received unanimous support from the panel, concerns were raised about the impact of year-on-year increases in council tax bills across the county, particularly given the looming cost of living squeeze.
Among those to raise concerns was Labour councillor Michael Jones, who said he did not ‘begrudge’ Sussex Police the money, but felt the increase, along with any agreed by other precepting authorities, would be ‘piling on the pressure to people on low incomes’ already facing rises to National Insurance rise and other costs of living.
In response Mrs Bourne said she ‘did not underestimate’ the financial pressures likely to be faced by many Sussex residents, but highlighted the council tax reduction schemes available to the lowest paid.
She also highlighted the consultation undertaken on the proposals, which found 67 per cent of respondents were in favour of increasing the precept.
Mrs Bourne said: “I am under no illusions how difficult some people across Sussex are going to find the coming years financially.”
She is also lobbying with PCCs for the government to carry out a funding review for the country’s police forces.