By Isle of Wight Observer
Island households will pay between £174.31 and £522.92 for 2024/25 for policing, an increase of almost 4 per cent on last year.
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police & Crime Panel has agreed to increase the amount a Band D home-owner pays by £10 a year. Band A property will pay an extra £6.67 and a Band H, £20.00.
An on-line public consultation, with more than 6,300 responses, found that 64 per cent supported an increase to the precept, which is collected with council tax but, as in previous years, the poll did not prevent multiple responses from a single computer.
With the increase, the public will now contribute 41 per cent of police funding, with the other 59 per cent paid by the government out of general taxation. In 2010/11, one third of funding came from the local precept, with 66 per cent funded by general taxation.
For the first time police and crime commissioner, Conservative, Donna Jones, did not recommend the maximum increase allowed by government – £13 for a Band D home. She faces an election on May 2, the same day as local elections in many parts of the country, although not on the Island. It is likely to be the last big electoral test for all the political parties before the general election.