Have your say on the Budget for 20010/11

This consultation is now closed.

Please view the news release relating to the budget decision - NYPA sets Policing Budget for 2010/11 and council tax levels

North Yorkshire Police Authority will approve the police budget for 2010/11 on Friday 5 February 2010.  In the run up to that decision, NYPA is currently considering the overall level of spending on the police service and levels of council tax precept it will levy on the residents of North Yorkshire and York.

In the current year, the budget for the police service is £135.735m, of which £76.667m comes from Government Grant and £59.068m from local council tax payers.  The current council tax precept at band D from the Police Authority is £199.17 per year; this figure represented a 3% increase over the precept for 2008/9.

Next year (from April 2010), the Force is planning to spend £139.4m (after finding net savings of £940,000). In addition to inflation, the Force plan to spend an additional £2.171m but have found a total of £3.1m in efficiencies.

The Government has already told us that we will receive £78,584.2 in grant (a 2.5% increase over the current year), leaving us to find £60.822m from the council tax. If the overall budget is approved at this level, this will mean increasing the council tax precept by 3%, to £205.15 for a band D property - an increase of £5.98 per year.

Every 1% increase in the police council tax precept raises approximately an extra £600,000 for the police service. Therefore, the financial plan currently is to raise an extra £1.8m through a proposed 3% rise.

The Police Authority is very conscious that the current national financial position is putting many local people in very difficult personal circumstances and we would wish to minimise any further increases in council tax if we can possibly help it.

That is why we are seeking your views on what the police element of the council tax level should be next year.

If we raise the police precept by less than 3%, then further savings will need to be made. Only a 2% increase in council tax next year, for example, will mean that the Force will need to make an additional £600k in savings next year.

There is another element which we particularly need to take account of in setting spending levels this year. We have all heard that public expenditure will come under severe pressure in future years due to the economic conditions. We expect – although we are not certain - that the grant that we get from whichever Government is in power will reduce in 2011/12 (the year after next) and again in the years to follow.

The dilemma we face is whether

• to maximise income, through council tax rises in the next financial year - to 'buffer' us against grant reductions in later years - or
• to keep council tax levels down as much as possible next year, thereby possibly making our longer term financial situation worse.

NYPA really does want to hear your views on this before it makes its decision in February, please complete the question below and/or send us your views through the form provided. Alternatively, you are able to write to the support unit - details through the Contact Details page.