Your commissioner Zoë Metcalfe

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Home - News - Proposals for police and fire and rescue funding agreed

5 February, 2021

Proposals for police and fire and rescue funding agreed

Proposals to invest in policing and fire and rescue in North Yorkshire and York which also recognise the challenges facing families across the county have been agreed.

Every year, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has to set the amount paid in council tax for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service – known as the precept.

For the 12 months from April 2021, Julia Mulligan proposed to increase the policing precept by 1.99 per cent and the same amount for the fire precept. This will mean an average of an additional 10p per week on residents’ council tax in band D for the financial year 2021/22 for policing and 3p per week for the fire service.

While an increase of 5.6 per cent for the policing precept would have been allowed without a referendum, the Commissioner recognised the financial challenge many families are currently facing and balanced that with a range of factors. These included the government grant for the services, the views of residents who responded to a survey on how much they would be prepared to pay, and an assessment of the resources needed to keep North Yorkshire and York safe and feeling safe.

The increase was approved by the Police, Fire and Crime Panel at their meeting today (5 February 2021).

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said:

“The past year has seen us all living through difficult times and my decision to increase the amount paid in council tax for both policing and fire and rescue by 1.99 per cent should be seen in that context.

“Our emergency services continue to do everything they can to keep us safe and feeling safe, and it is important we ensure they can continue to do that facing challenges that no-one would have predicted just one year ago.

“But I also recognise that many families across North Yorkshire and York are facing huge demands on their finances which is why I felt increasing the precept by the maximum allowed would be the wrong decision.

“I am pleased the Police, Fire and Crime Panel agreed with the proposal which will keep us safe and feeling safe while not placing an unfair burden on families facing unprecedented pressures on their finances.”