A promise not to increase Wiltshire’s police precept to make up for an additional £2 million government cut in the force’s funding has come from newly-appointed Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson.
He proposes to cap the police element of council tax for the coming 2013-14 financial year, which starts in April with Wiltshire Council elections and those for town and parish councils the following month.
The Wiltshire Police budget is made up of two main funding streams – funding from central government and the police part of the council tax from householders in Wiltshire and Swindon.
At the end of December 2012, Mr Macpherson was informed that the central government grant for Wiltshire Police for 2013-14 will be £65.2 million. This is £2 million less than that received for the current financial year.
“The budget we are receiving from central government is in line with what we expected – so there are no surprises there,” he told Marlborough News Online.
“We expected to have to make savings in line with our on-going plans. I am more than aware of the current economic climate and challenges this can give people living in Wiltshire and Swindon.”
“So as promised during my election campaign, I am proposing not to increase the policing part of the council tax for the next financial year.”
The Commissioner will be consulting on his proposal with local Chambers of Commerce and groups in the voluntary community sector.
The Police and Crime Panel, the body that scrutinises the decisions of the Commissioner, will also discuss the proposal at a meeting on February 6 before Mr Macpherson makes his final decision.
If the police council tax cap goes ahead, householders in a B and D property will pay £157.77 for policing services next year. This is the same as last year, and the year before that.
Council tax bills are distributed by local authorities to households in March for the start of the next financial year from April.
Mr Macpherson added: “Wiltshire Police has a deserved reputation for giving residents a service which is good value for money. I am keen to continue to keep the cost of policing down while maintaining an effective frontline service.”
“This means doing more for less. This will involve working more closely with the voluntary and community sector, supporting initiatives such as Neighbourhood Watch, Street Pastors and organisations which support victims of domestic abuse and tackling offenders who are drug and alcohol dependent.”
Marlborough’s new town clerk is a former diplomat with round the world experience
