Members of the public are being invited to have their say on what the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service council tax precept should be for 2017-18.
The aim of the consultation is to gain an understanding as to the public’s preferred level of the precept of 1.9pc or no increase.
A spokesperson for Humberside Fire & Rescue Service said;
“Humberside Fire Authority provides a fire and rescue service to the communities of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire; a population of more than 900,000 people.”
“As with most public sector organisations, Humberside Fire Authority is facing significant financial challenges over the next few years and it must continue to work hard to ensure that it can continue to deliver a high level of service at a lower cost.”
“There are two main sources of funding that the Authority relies on to deliver its services to the community. The precept, which is the element of council tax raised locally, and grant funding from central government.”
“The final precept recommendation will be considered by Humberside Fire Authority in February 2017.”
Information about the options, the impact on council tax bands and an online survey are available on the Service’s website at www.humbersidefire.gov.uk Consultation closes at 12 noon on Monday 9 January 2017.
Fire and rescue services has suffered a nearly 30 per cent funding cut since 2010, which has resulted in over 7,000 frontline firefighting jobs being cut.
Figures calculated by the Fire Brigades Union estimate that new cuts of 20 per cent will be made to fire and rescue in England from now until 2020. This represents a 50 per cent funding cut over a decade.
In Merseyside deaths caused by fire are at the highest levels in tens years with Fire fighters blaming the government cuts that have seen a number of fire stations closed down in the region.
