Hertfordshire council tax rise to support police agreed
An average £15 a year increase to council tax to help fund a county’s police force has been agreed.
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, David Lloyd, said the rise would generate an extra £7m.
The county’s police and crime panel approved the increase after more than half of residents in a public consultation were in favour of it.
Mr Lloyd said the “below-inflation increase” recognised the financial pressures households were under.
Residents had been asked to comment on increasing the annual police precept – the part of the council tax that pays for policing – for an average Band D property, from £223 to £238 a year.
Two thirds of properties in Hertfordshire are in council tax bands A to D, so will now pay an extra £15 or less per year.
Mr Lloyd had said it would cost £271.6m to run the force in the 2023-24 financial year, after more than 300 extra officers had been recruited in the last three years.
This should be funded by a combination of £142.2m from central government, £111m from council taxpayers and an additional £18.4m in fees, charges and other grants.
This year, council tax raised £104m, and the proposed increase would raise an additional £7m to balance the budget.
A public consultation saw almost 2,500 responses and 54% of residents said they wanted to pay more to support policing, 37% disagreed with the proposal and 9% were neutral
Mr Lloyd said the budget would “enable the constabulary to maintain Hertfordshire’s largest-ever police service” and allow the delivery of its Prevention First programme which aimed to “prevent risk, harm and victimisation. It also focuses on preventing and reducing harm for the most vulnerable, as well as tackling violence against women and girls”.
“In addition, we will invest in our professional standards and vetting teams to maintain our high standards, continue to root out those who have no place in our police service, and maintain public confidence,” he said.
“Standstill pressures this year are higher than they have been in previous years with pressure on pay, non-pay and capital financing budgets.
“Despite that, I am delivering a below inflation increase in the precept to recognise the pressure being faced by households across the county.”