Dorset Fire and Rescue Service increases council tax share (From Dorset Echo)

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service increases council tax share

1:10pm Thursday 21st February 2013 in News

DORSET Fire and Rescue Service has taken a ‘one off opportunity’ to significantly increase its share of the council tax.

Members of the Dorset Fire Authority agreed to increase the service’s precept by £4.95 for a Band D mid range property at a meeting today.

Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter told the meeting that the Dorset Fire and Rescue Service was among the lowest funded fire authorities in the country and as a result had been offered the chance by the government to increase its precept by up to £5 this year without having to go out for a referendum.

He said: “It is a one off opportunity to strengthen our base.”

The fire service’s share of the precept will increase from £60.39 to £65.34 for a Band D property, an increase of around 8.2 per cent.