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The total bill is expected to rise by 0.6 per cent, an extra
£7.97 for a band D property, from April 1.
But West Midlands Fire Service is set to agree a 10.42 per
cent increase, an extra £4.99 for a band D property, £47.83 to £52.82.
This is just below the £5 threshold that would trigger a public
referendum on whether to accept the rise.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones is
proposing a three per cent rise, taking the force band D bill from £99.45 to
£102.43.
A decision will be made this month for the three public
bodies. Parish councils will get extra cash. This does not include Knowle and
Dorridge.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones
pledged to recruit 100 officers “through redeployment and recruitment of
civilian staff” who will not use warranted police powers.
He said: “In difficult financial circumstances, protecting
the services that matter to our communities is key.”
Mr Jones – a Labour member of Wolverhampton City Council –
said the national funding for police is “unfair” and the force had less cash
from ministers.
He said: “I am committed to keeping the policing precept as
low as possible.”
Mr Jones has rejected a Government grant to freeze the
council tax increase, saying this would result in a 10 per cent hike in 2015
when the grant is no longer available.
Fire authority chairman John Edwards said: “Even with an
average £5 extra a year from households, local people will still be making the
lowest contribution anywhere in the country to their fire and rescue service.
“This small increase is needed because we are losing over
£20m of central government grant during the current four-year period.”
“I give an absolute pledge to local tax payers that every
penny of this increase will be spent on our frontline services.
Our firefighter numbers will have fallen from 1,600 to 1,230
between 2011 and 2015.”
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