Council tax: the argument begins (From York Press)

Council tax: the argument begins

10:00am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Letters By Readers' letters

SINCE the Tory-led Government started its extreme cuts to public expenditure in 2010, I have campaigned against these measures and gone on marches calling on alternatives to cuts.

As we face the likelihood of going into another recession, it is clear these savage cuts have stifled growth and increased unemployment.

I do, however, see that the Labour group on City of York Council was faced with little alternative to raising council tax if it was still to protect the most vulnerable in our city, such as the eldery and disabled. The council was faced funding cuts of nearly £40m over three years largely as a result of cuts from central government, and although it has absorbed some of these costs through cuts to local services, it would have meant significant cuts to services if council tax had remained frozen.

Don’t be fooled by the Tory claim that council tax could have been frozen by accepting a grant from central government. This would have been a one-year grant, which would have resulted in deeper cuts the following year. So yes, ideally, we should not be facing a council tax rise, but I lay the blame at the door of No 10.

Andrew Collingwood, Main Street, Elvington.

• HOLD on to your wallets. That was the message I sent to residents after reading Labour councillor David Levene’s promise that the new Labour administration would be careful in handling taxpayers’ money.

At that time I challenged him to promise that by accepting the Government’s offer of a 2.5 per cent grant increase there would be no increase in council tax during the next year. As with all Labour councillors caught on the back foot, he failed to respond.

Most councils in Yorkshire have accepted the Government’s offer and their taxes will not increase this year. But not in York – oh no! Greedy York wants 2.9 per cent.

So let me throw another challenge to Coun Levene – as you are taking 2.9 per cent off us this coming year, does that mean we will not have any increase the following year or will you continue soaking the poor old council taxpayer?

A simple yes or no will do, and preferably from you and not yet another one from James Alexander.

George Barton, Conservative councillor, Wheldrake ward.

• MY ABACUS is spinning like a dervish thanks to the council budget proposals.

By refusing a Government grant of £1.8 million, the council is forcing up bills by 2.9 per cent, which is an average increase of £32 for everyone. How much will this 2.9 per cent increase bring in?

If it is only near to the £1.8 million, surely it would serve York residents better to take the grant.

Having only The Press of February 4 to go on, I did not see any proposal to increase council house rents, which are well below the private-sector equivalent.

Is there any proposal to help the budget by bringing council house rents a little nearer to the going rate?

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington.

• So it is confirmed, James Alexander couldn’t care less about piling tax on to hard-working residents to fund his spending. Last year he campaigned for a council tax freeze and gave the impression that it was his idea alone. Now he has shown his true intention was to tax and spend.

But, even worse, what contempt is he showing the York people by denying them a £1.8 million grant from the Government in order to gain a mere 0.4 per cent of his tax rise. He wants to apply escalating tax rises in future years and accepting the grant would make this awkward. He prefers to pile the financial burden on to us.

Mr Alexander could easily have a Government-funded council tax freeze this year and still have his tax hike next year.

All he has to do is test his popularity by having a referendum on an increase above 3.5 per cent next year. Of course, he will not do this because he knows what the result would be.

Coun Joe Watt, Conservative member for Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without.

• NOW the council administration has announced its intention to increase council tax, it is vital that residents recognise the overwhelming budget difficulties faced by ruling Labour councillors.

By accepting the council tax freeze bribe offered by the Conservative-led Government, the authority would fall foul to further budget pressures.

In fact, it would cost residents more in the long term by accepting the bribe through even greater council tax rises and deeper cuts to public services.

This has certainly been acknowledged by Conservative-controlled Scarborough Council, which also rejected its own Government’s grant to freeze council tax, opting for an increase of 2.95 per cent.

Councillors have a legal obligation to set a balanced budget, and as a consequence the priorities for this Labour council have become clear through its budget proposals by increasing protection and assistance to the most vulnerable.

Other benefits include the protection of children’s centres, leisure facilities and libraries.

No doubt the Conservative and Liberal Democrat members will argue against these proposals. But what residents must remember is that it is their Government which is forcing through these aggressive and most deliberate cuts.

Dan Sidley, Sovereign Park, York.

• YOU report that Kersten England, City of York Council’s chief executive, turned down a pay rise (The Press, February 6). When a large number of public- sector and private-sector workers are not getting a pay rise, why was Ms England even offered one?

I believe she is contractually entitled to an increase, but surely the contract is faulty. Nobody can say what the future holds, and to include a clause ensuring that a salary will rise is ludicrous.

York is, I hope, doing sterling work in reducing expenses, and Ms England is well in tune with this and with public opinion. However, the city needs more money as well, which raises my second point.

Yesterday your front-page story was headlined, “Hotels fury at £1 tourism tax”. I have booked a holiday in France staying in a variety of locations. All the hotels charge a city tax of between 60 euro cents to one euro per day. It does not put me off going to France and I cannot see the problem. Tourism brings money to York but it also brings extra costs to our service providers. This needs to be paid for and not by York residents.

Trudy Visser, Stonegrave, York.

• LAUGH or cry? We are in the worst economic crisis ever and City of York Council is forcing us to swallow a 2.9 per cent council tax rise when the Government wants it frozen.

We are also expected to be impressed when the council chief turns down the chance of a pay rise, even though it is understood that she already earns around £130,000. I am not laughing. N ick Emmerson, Centurion Square, Skeldergate, York.