Council Tax 2009/10
It is the responsibility of Hampshire Police Authority to set the council tax for policing in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Chief Constable prepares the budget for the coming year and advises Hampshire Police Authority how much he needs to efficiently and effectively police the two counties.
The Police Authority receives the money for this budget from government grants, business rates and the police precept in the council tax. Depending on how much money it receives from government, the Police Authority has to raise a certain amount of money from the precept, which is the only part of its income the Authority can adjust.
The police precept comprises approximately one tenth of the total council tax bill; in 2008/09 it increased by 8.11 per cent.
In 2009/10 the policing element for a council tax band D is £142.11, compared with £135.54 in 2008/09, which equates to an increase of £6.57 (4.8%) per annum or 55 pence per month.
How the money will be used
The majority of the money (84 per cent) will be spent on employees, in particular the delivery of frontline policing services including the continuation of Safer Neighbourhood Teams throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The majority of the increase in cost (£14.1 million) is pay and price inflation in the past year. Further changes of £4.5 million have been added to maintain the current level of service for 2009/10. These changes include £1.9 million relating to lower investment interest receipts and increased capital financing costs as the Authority invests in major capital projects to deliver a new police station in Southampton and new Constabulary HQ. Growth is limited to £0.9 million to improve data sharing between forces, a mandatory project.
Savings of £9 million have been identified to reduce the impact on Council Tax payers. The Authority and Constabulary joint efficiency strategy work identifies cost savings that should not adversely affect frontline performance.
The savings will require the number of police officer and police staff posts to be reduced, but these will be linked with efficiency and productivity plans to minimise the impact of the reductions. The Chief Constable will look to protect frontline areas, and the majority, particularly police officer posts, are already vacant through a programme of managed change which has not resulted in a poorer service to the public in 2008/09.