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12
Jan 2023
North Yorkshire Police faces £8m in inflation costs
North Yorkshire Police faces additional costs of £8 million due to inflation this year.
At a meeting of North Yorkshire’s Police Fire and Crime Panel today, the commissioner’s office outlined how the force faced pressures due to rising utility bills, salaries and rising costs of supplies.
Michael Porter, the commissioner’s finance director, warned that even the maximum permitted council tax precept increase of £15 would not be enough to cover the figure.
He said:
Mr Porter told the meeting that once investment in the force's control room and extra recruitment was factored in on top of inflation, the police faced costs of £13.6 million.
The government has given police commissioners the power to increase the force’s share of council tax by £15 before a referendum has to be held.
A £15 hike in the police precept would be the equivalent of a 5.34% increase and see the force’s share of council tax rise to £296 for a band D property.
Read more:
- Police commissioner given power to hike council tax by £15
- North Yorkshire Police needs £12m to meet rising costs, says commissioner
- Impartiality concerns over crime commissioner’s plan to share office with Harrogate police
But the commissioner’s office has estimated that the maximum precept increase would still leave around £4.7 million in savings required.
However, Mr Porter said that he was confident that the commissioner’s office had enough reserves to cover inflationary pressures next year.
He said:
Conservative crime commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, is expected to outline her budget plans for fire and police services in February.
The consultation into police and fire precepts closes on January 16, 2023. You can take part in the survey here.
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