“Police bosses claim a rise in council tax would save hundreds of officer posts, as it faced budget cuts.
The proposal, being put to the public, would add about £26 a year to the bill of the average band D property in Devon and Cornwall.
The force’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Tony Hogg, said a 15% increase in the police’s share of council tax could save 350 officers.
If there is support for the rise, a referendum will be held on 5 May.”
East Devon Watch 
So the government cuts funds to Councils so that Council-tax payers can fund the shortfall…what next?
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We do not vote for the increase in local tax. Its akin to blackmail.
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The government will make even more cuts to Councils.
The Chancellor announced today that the Department for Local Government (DCLG) has agreed to a 30%+ reduction in their budget over the next 4 years. Since DCLG is the source of central government funds to local government, this is likely to mean further massive cuts to county council funding.
Devon CC has cut its services to the bone already, and unless there is a rebalancing of the funding formula so that the SW gets more of a fair share, I cannot imagine what the consequences will be.
Ditto for health services in the SW, education funding in the SW, roads in the SW, policing in the SW etc.
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So we can choose to give them more of our money to police ourselves but would get no more influence or democratic control in return. No doubt if they did receive extra they would still overlook the misdemeanours of Cllr Brown and similar types.
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