Households on the Isle of Wight could soon be paying up more Council Tax to help fund Policing across the region.
A consultation has been launched by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Michael Lane, looking into the options of increasing the Police precept.
The Government has given the flexibility to all Police and Crime Commissioners to increase the council tax by £2 per month per Band D property – or £24 per year.
The Police precept is what you contribute to Hampshire Constabulary to fund policing locally and is in additional to the money paid to the Isle of Wight Council and to your local parish or town council.
Under the proposed plans, a Band H property on the Island could pay £48 more per year. For a Band D property this would be an increase of £24 and for a Band A property the increase would be £16 a year.
Mr Lane has this week said in a statement:
“In welcoming the option to raise local precept, I should be immediately clear that there is only one option that I can recommend to the people I serve, with the intention to keep them SAFER. That is to take full advantage of the settlement to protect current police services and use the additional £2 per month option to deliver local safety, through plans devised by the Chief Constable as the operational expert.
