BARNSLEY residents are being urged to take part in a consultation on the setting of the policing precept for locals.
The police precept is the part of your council tax bill that is spent on crime and policing services.
South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard is intending to increase the precept by 5.58 per cent a year, the same as the government proposals.
He said: “After 14 years of police budgets being squeezed by the last government, the money we raise locally to pay for policing is more important than ever.
“The government provides nearly three-quarters of the policing budget through a grant and the remainder comes from the policing precept.
“In South Yorkshire, the precept makes up about 26.5 per cent of the total core funding for policing.
“As South Yorkshire’s Mayor, it is ultimately my job to set the police precept, to balance the needs of the police with what people in South Yorkshire can afford.
“But before setting the level of the precept for the next twelve months, I want to know your thoughts.”
This year the government have said that they expect the police precept to be increased by £14 a year for a Band D property.
An increase of £14 a year works out at 27 pence a week for a Band D household.
However, the majority of households in South Yorkshire are Band A where the increase would be 18 pence a week.
It would be one of the lowest precepts in the country should it be approved.
A link to the consultation can be found on the SYMCA website.
