2023/24 Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services)
On your bill this will appear at the "Mayoral General Precept". The vast majority of this goes to Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. The service is funded partly by grants from central Government and partly by council tax paid by the residents of Greater Manchester. The precept has been increased to ensure that fire cover is maintained, given the significant increase in inflationary pressures on both pay and non-pay budgets. The Mayor has committed to continuing with at least 50 fire engines throughout 2023/24 with crewing at the current level of five firefighters at one pump stations and four firefighters on each engine at two pump stations.
Over the course of the year, for the average Band A property, the fire proportion of the precept is £50.80. To give an idea of how your money is spent, for the period 1st April 2022 to December 2022, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service:
- Responded to 8,730 fires across Greater Manchester
- Attended 1,477 road traffic collisions
- Attended 4,714 incidents that required specialist fire service support
- Rescued 1,738 people
In addition to funding the fire service, part of this precept also goes to fund the mayor, plus the functions he is responsible for. Over the course of the year, this is £21.16 for the average Band A bill. This mayoral precept funds:
- Transport Strategy including Local Transport Plan development and monitoring
- Administration of Bus Service Operators Grant
- Developing the new plan for jobs and homes for Greater Manchester
- Mayoral Development Corporations
- Costs of the Mayor’s office
- Grants to District Councils
This year whilst the mayoral precept has been frozen it will continue to fund the Mayor’s successful ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme to reduce rough sleepers across Greater Manchester, the implementation of The Bee Network bus reform plan and continuation of the successful ‘Our Pass’ pilot for all 16-18 year olds.
The mayoral precept per council tax band
| Precept Bands | Band A | Band B | Band C | Band D | Band E | Band F | Band G | Band G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayoral General Precept (including fire) |
71.96 |
83.96 |
95.95 |
107.95 |
131.93 |
155.92 |
179.91 |
215.90 |
| Percentage of households in each Band % |
44.7% |
19.8% |
17.6% |
9.5% |
4.9% |
2.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 |
Comparison of Expenditure - breakdown
| Year | 2022/23 (£000) | 2023/24 (£000) | Variation (£000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Expenditure |
255,594 |
268,989 |
13,395 |
| Income |
-28,718 |
-18,814 |
9,904 |
| Cost of Service |
226,876 |
250,175 |
23,299 |
| Capital Financing Charges |
1,692 |
2,082 |
390 |
| Net Service Budget |
228,568 |
252,257 |
23,689 |
| Contribution to/from Balances |
643 |
-9,971 |
-10,614 |
| Budget Requirement |
229,211 |
242,286 |
13,075 |
| Localised Business Rates |
-9,368 |
-10,650 |
-1,282 |
| Business Rate Baseline |
-40,922 |
-43,275 |
-2,353 |
| Services Grant |
-2,209 |
-1,244 |
965 |
| Section 31 Grant – Business Rates |
-5,452 |
-7,567 |
-2,115 |
| Section 31 Grant – pensions |
-5,605 |
-5,605 |
0 |
| Transport - Statutory Charge |
-86,700 |
-86,700 |
0 |
| Collection Fund surplus/deficit |
1,192 |
-1,590 |
-2,782 |
| Council Tax Requirement |
80,147 |
85,655 |
5,508 |
Mayoral Expenditure Breakdown 2022/23 (non-fire)
| Description | 2023/24 £000 |
|---|---|
| Mayoral Direct Costs Incl Corporate Support |
1,352 |
| Mayoral Priorities Incl - A Bed Every Night |
3,600 |
| Transport Policy & Strategy |
3,500 |
| BSOG - grants to operators |
11,750 |
| - administration |
50 |
| ‘Our Pass’ Incl Opportunity Cost |
16,891 |
| Sub-Total - Pre additional transport powers |
37,143 |
| Bus Reform |
15,895 |
| Bus Concessionary Reimbursement |
50,000 |
| Supported Bus |
32,000 |
| Accessible Transport/Ring & Ride |
3,600 |
| Allocation of Bus Operational costs |
1,100 |
| Total Including additional transport powers |
139,738 |