West Midlands taxpayers will have to foot the bill to protect police budgets after the Home Secretary gave the green light to council tax hikes.
George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement last week that there would be no decrease to police funding, but the Home Secretary has since admitted that there will be real term cuts of around 1.3 per cent.
And, in a letter to police and crime commissioners, Theresa May also told West Midlands Police that it would be excluded from the previous cap of 1.99 per cent and can charge householders £5 to meet the funding shortfall.
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The council tax caps were introduced by the previous coalition government, with ministers insisting that any increase by two per cent or more would spark a referendum to gain residents' approval first.
At a meeting of the West Midlands Strategic Crime Board, police and crime commissioner David Jamieson said a decision on what he would ask for from taxpayers had yet to be made.
However, he added that his budget had already been predicated on charging the maximum amount.
He added: "I'm listening to what people have to say on this, but they have to know and understand that the amount of funding we have got is predicated by making this £5 increase and going to the maximum that the law will allow."
By charging the higher amount instead of the current 1.99 per cent cap, the force will bring in £3.5 million per year, instead of the £1.5 million that the previous current capped amount brought in last year.
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Over the four-year period it will bring in an extra £8 million and £14 million in total.
Mr Jamieson told board members that the force was one of 10 across England and Wales that currently charged low precepts and that was why they had been granted permission to make the hikes.
He also challenged the Chancellor on his pledge that policing budgets have been protected.
He said: "One thing is clear, funding has not been protected, the Government want me to raise the council tax to fill the gap.
"I am very sceptical of what the Government has said on police funding after the debacle around the funding formula review when they got their sums wrong."
He added: "I would like to take this opportunity to note Julian Knight MP and Mike Wood MP's contributions to the Westminster Hall debate on police funding and their calls for there to be greater flexibility on council tax increases.
"The Chancellor has clearly listened to them and duly given the powers to PCCs to raise council tax by higher amounts."
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Mr Jamieson has also written to the Home Secretary asking for "clarity" on the funding position.
His letter says: "I sincerely hope that my suspicions are wrong and will graciously acknowledge if that is the case.
"If I am correct and the amount of local police funding is in fact cut, some may portray the Chancellor's assertion that police funding has been protected as a deception.
"I challenge the Home Office to allay my fears on this crucial matter as soon as possible. I am in the process of planning my budget for next year and need clarity on this pressing matter.
"I would appreciate a swift reply to reassure the people of the West Midlands and it may also give some clarity for other police and crime commissioners."
Mr Jamieson also fears that extra promised money to combat terrorism and cyber crime will be top sliced from the entire police budget, meaning the West Midlands could lose nearly £60 million.
The full details of the new police funding arrangement will be announced on December 17.
And in order for Mr Jamieson to increase the precept it would have to be approved by the police and crime panel in the new year.