The Sussex Police share of the 2026-27 council tax bill is to increase by £15 – the maximum allowed.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel on Friday (30 January).
Police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne said: “There is an expectation now from government that every police and crime commissioner will raise by the maximum.
“It’s baked in now to the grant that government give us.”
She described that £442 million grant as “inadequate for our needs”.
The £15 increase will bring in around £11.7 million but the force will still be left with a £7.5 million gap in its budget in 2026-27. This is nearly double what was expected.
The increase equates to a 5.6 per cent rise – an extra £1.25 per month for a band D property, taking that portion of the bill to £281.91 for the year.
Mrs Bourne said that 75 per cent of households across Sussex would pay no more than an extra 29p per week.
She said that Sussex had the seventh lowest precept in England and Wales in 2025-26.
And she added: “It is not a huge amount of money but, for those who are struggling, it will seem a lot – and I’m really conscious of this.
“I speak with personal experience in my past, where money was not easy to come by. I know what it’s like if you have a young family and you’re struggling.
“It’s not something that I go out and crow about as you will see in some areas where it’s seen as a badge of honour.”
I think people will be very much wanting to see the police more invested in local policing, there’s definitely an apathy around crimes like theft that affects people on a day-to-day basis. The police will be expected to justify their increase in budget.
I’ve got a good idea. Reduce the wage bill by getting rid of a lot of the bureaucrats, starting with the PCC on a ridiculous salary! Put a proper accountant and an experienced, senior police officer in charge, accountable to the Chief Constable and (already elected) councillors?
Here here 🙌 👏.
Good news for you then, the role of the Regional Mayor absorbs the PCC role, so that will disappear, just like you want.