How much we pay for fire and rescue services on the rise

With public facing organisations all feeling the squeeze financially, proposals have been made by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) to increase the fee we pay through our council tax to support officers.

With the authority’s budget to be finalised next week, members from across the constituent councils have proposed a rise in the precept of £5 for the year 2025/26.

It is thought the fund bump could bring in an additional almost £2m in the coming 12 months.

The proposals come as several councils have indicated they will look to increase council tax by the maximum 5% next year.

Households will also be asked to fork out more for police and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority once their budgets are approved.

According to documents released by MFRA ahead of members convening next Thursday, an increase on the precept of £5 has been mooted.

If the authority wished to hold a referendum and increase the precept by more than this amount, it would face a risk if the electorate voted against the increase, of incurring the expense of re-billing all the districts within Merseyside at an estimated cost of more than £1m.

The increase is set against Band D properties. All properties were valued and put into bands from A to H based on their value in April 1991.

Merseyside’s current 2024/2025 Band D Council Tax of £91.25 is slightly above the fire and rescue service national average of £90.32. It is expected the increase put forward for 2025/26 would maintain this position.

The authority’s financial officers have suggested the precept increase would raise an additional £1.9m in the next year. Earlier this week, Liverpool Council confirmed it would seek to raise its household rates by the maximum 4.99% in a bid to bring in an additional £11m.

“Difficult economic circumstances” have led to an increase in the amount we pay to fund the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor according to the man in the chair.

Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) agreed to set the organisation’s annual budget which includes an increase to the Mayoral precept for the first time in seven years.

A rise of £5 a year has been signed off per band D home, owing to what Mr Rotheram described as “challenging” times for local government finances. Households will pay an additional £14 extra a year on average for policing as per the budget put forward by Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner.