STOCKTON Heath Parish Council is facing the decision of whether or not to increase the parish precept – the local element of the council tax – to keep a Police Community Support Officer in the village.
The council has been told by Cheshire Police that if they are to have a PCSO specifically allocated to the village next year they will have to meet the full £33,000 cost.
Currently, the parish pays one third of the cost of having their own PCSO and they have budgeted for meeting half the cost next year.
Chairman Cllr Peter Walker (pictured) said: “We will have to make the decision of whether or not to increase the parish precept.
“We do value having our own dedicated PCSO, but we also have to consider other items in our budget.
“If we decide to contribute only half the cost, we will presumably receive only half a PCSO. We are not sure how this will be done, but presumably we would share the officer with an adjoining area.”
On the plus side, however, the council has been told they will not have to share their PCSO with the neighbouring parishes of Hatton and Walton.
The police have decided one officer will cover Stockton Heath and another will cover Hatton, Stretton and Walton..
Should council tax go up to pay for PCSO?
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Culcheth Glazebury and Croft Parish Council are already part funding an extra PCSO, unfortunately they are still paying the money but the PCSO has been removed.
Any idea what the level of part funding is? And what undertaking the Police or PCC gave when agreeing to the part funding arrangement?