With a re-election campaign start in sight, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, is proposing to freeze the Mayoral precept, which is an add-on to Council Tax that pays for Greater Manchester services that the Mayor is responsible for, as well as his own costs.
The Mayoral precept currently adds £70.73 for a Band B property Council Tax bill which is split £51.48 for the Fire Service and £19.25 for other Mayoral-funded services (£90.95 for a Band D property, with the fire service accounting for £66.20 and £24.75 for non-fire).
"The Government's failure to fund council services means Council Tax bills are likely to have to rise next year, particularly to fund social care and police" he says "I do not want to give our residents an extra headache and that is why I am proposing to freeze the Mayoral precept.
"This has been a very difficult year for everyone in Greater Manchester" he adds "Many people will have lost their jobs or had significantly reduced income and will be uncertain about their futures. Now is not the time for me to be adding to their financial worries.
"But we do need to continue to support our crucial services as we recover from the pandemic" he explains "Thanks to careful management of our budgets, we can maintain fire cover at current levels, extend our A Bed Every Night scheme into the next financial year and continue to support our young people."
With the Fire Brigades Union campaigning against cuts to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Burnham has committed to maintain the status quo, running fifty fire engines throughout 2021/22 with crewing at the current level of five firefighters at one pump stations and four firefighters on each engine at two pump stations.
The GM Mayor is also proposing to continue the A Bed Every Night scheme into the next financial year, with at least 520 places provided across Greater Manchester for people sleeping rough.
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