PCC council tax police funding approved by Police & Crime Panel
The Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel met today to consider the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed increase in the council tax precept for Policing.
In a meeting lasting over 3 hours, there was opportunity to robustly scrutinise the proposed budget and how the funds would be spent. The increase of £15 was approved by the Panel after a vote.
The Panel, made up of 14 councillors from the 5 local authorities in the force area and 3 lay members of the public, was required to consider if an annual increase of £15.00 for an average Band D property was fair and appropriate. The proposed increase equates to approximately £1.25 per month.
Presenting her budget for 2026/27 at the meeting, Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody told the Panel the increase was necessary to bridge the gap between the government’s funding of the force and the cost of providing a functioning service. Also present at the meeting was Chief Constable Sarah Crew who described the uplift as essential to address the resilience of the existing service in the face of complex challenges and increased demand, and to meet the expectations of the public.
Speaking after the meeting, the Chair of the Panel, Councillor Heather Shearer said: “As we have said in previous years, we understand the arguments put forward by the PCC to take the maximum uplift but that additional investment has to deliver real improvements in the service provided by the constabulary. All of our communities need to have confidence in the Police, and this will only happen with demonstrable progress, especially in the areas of improvement highlighted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service.”
“No-one involved in public service wants to put up taxes paid by local people but in this case, we felt it was necessary.
“Once again this year, the Panel was clear that while we knew the precept uplift was essential, the public really need to be assured that positive outcomes will improve across the whole force area and the PCC’s Office and the constabulary are committed to addressing declining public confidence.”
The Panel’s statutory report and detailed reasoning for its decision will be available on its website here on 15th February 2026. The Panel’s next meetings are 17th February 2026 and 24th March 2026.