KEIGHLEY people will pay just under two per cent more for fire service provision in the next year.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority says the increase will equate to about an extra 2p a week for the average council tax payer.
"The 2017-18 year is a significant one for us – with the appointment of a new chief fire officer and restarting of whole-time firefighter recruitment," said authority chairman, Councillor Judith Hughes.
"This small increase in precept has allowed us to balance the budget in the current year and provide additional financial stability for the future.
"Despite the increase, the authority remains one of the lowest cost-per-head-of-population fire authorities in the country."
She added that the rise had been restricted to 1.99 per cent despite the authority facing a further loss of £3.29m in Government grant in the coming year.
An overall grant reduction of £7.9m will be seen by 2019-20.
Chief fire officer John Roberts warned that further savings would need to be made over the next three years, but he said the reintroduction of recruitment was a "positive step forward".
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here