CHESTER residents are being asked for their views on police spending for the coming financial year.
On the Cheshire Police Authority website people have been invited to choose between three possible courses of action that could be taken by the authority as members consider the budget for 2012-13.
Chairman Margaret Ollerenshaw said: “These choices result from the terms attached to an additional grant which the coalition government is offering police authorities.
“If we accept the grant we will freeze the police part of the council tax for the coming year. But the grant only applies to 2012-13, so there will be consequences for the following year.
“Which route we decide to take will obviously affect people’s pockets. So, we want to know what the council tax payers think.”
One possibility is to freeze the policing part of the council tax for 2012-13 but cut the policing budget for the following year (2013-14) by £1.6 million more than the cuts already set by the coalition government.
Another is to freeze council tax for 2012-13 and introduce a six per cent increase in April, 2013. If the government does not allow such a large increase a compromise involving a smaller increase and substantial budget cuts would be necessary.
The third course is to raise the policing part of the council tax in 2012-13 by up to four per cent, which is equivalent to £5.76 per year or 11p a week on a Band D home.