COUNCIL TAX PAYERS FACE BIG POLICE HIKE
COUNCIL Tax payers in the Wokingham district have received a new blow as they brace themselves for another above-inflation increase in bills next year.
The cost of policing the region is set to rocket after the Government came up with about half the funds the Thames Valley Police Authority says it needs to do its job properly.
The shortfall is likely to be found through Council Tax, a part of which is made up of a precept from the police authority.
The authority's assistant treasurer Ian Thompson said: "It is either higher Council Tax or fewer services. That is the only choice there is and that is what our members will have to consider."
The TVPA is unable to say at this time how big a rise they will ask Council Tax payers to fund, but the Association of Police Authorities (APA) has warned the national average could be as high as 15 per cent.
This would come on top of the 45 per cent increase police
bosses put on their part of the Council Tax bill this year.
"Every effort is being given to maintain service standards and delivery. It's not a question of 'Do we increase Council Tax? It is by how much."
This year, Band D householders in Wokingham paid Council Tax of £1,138.51, of which £990.05 was the council's share and £106.24 was for the police.
If the police part of the bill goes up by the APA's suggested 15 per cent next year, 2004/05, it will go up £15.94 to £122.18.
Home Secretary David Blunkett announced the Thames Valley was to receive a 3.25 per cent increase in
general Government funding to cover inflation and take the force's grant allocation up to £212.6million for 2004/5.
He said: "I recognise the financial pressures on police authorities this year and I believe that this approach will help ensure that precepts are kept at a sustainable level while ensuring continued improvement."
But the TVPA believes it needs more than double that increase and warns that failure to find the extra funding could seriously affect its three-year strategy to get more bobbies on the beat, tackle drugs, drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour and improve its call handling.
Mr Thompson said the TVPA would need an increase of around 6.8 per cent to cope with inflation and ongoing commitments.
Mr Thompson said: "This means that difficult decisions will need to be taken on budget priorities as the authority
considers the requirements of the Chief Constable Peter Neyroud for resources to deliver the three-year policing strategy and the implication of this on the budget."
Settlement figures will be confirmed at the end of January 2004 and the TVPA will meet at the end of February to agree its budget and set the amount it wants in Council Tax.
Wokingham District Council has been awarded an additional 5.8 per cent — an extra £4.1million.
But Cllr Frank Browne, the leader of the council, said the Government admitted it had underfunded the district by a massive 17 per cent last year.
He said: "By imposing a ceiling on the maximum increase, and so holding back our money, they have failed to deliver for the second year running in terms of the grant we actually get."
Next year's budget and Council Tax is set to be agreed at a council meting on February 26.