IN your article about capping council tax, you quote Hugh Bayley as saying that the Liberal Democrat administration inherited "the lowest council tax in Yorkshire from the previous Labour council.

But because of that big rise, it is no longer the lowest" (April 30).

That statement is simply not true.

Please can we consider the facts.

The lowest council taxes for a Band D property in England are Wandsworth £359.36, Westminster £363.83, Kensington & Chelsea £671.97, Tower Hamlets £766.69, Bromley £799.16, Lambeth £809.12, Newham £817.71, Southwark £829.21, Bracknell £834.75 (all within 25 miles of Central London) and then comes York at £848.75.

Perhaps Hugh could point out which of those below us is in Yorkshire. He can't; no council in Yorkshire is cheaper than York.

People are right to be concerned about the rise in council tax. But what is more important, the percentage rise or the actual amount payable?

Last year we were 13th cheapest in England.

This year we inherited a £10 million gap in the budget, the largest gap by far since City of York Council was formed in 1996.

Despite this, we managed to contain the increase to a rise of 8.53 per cent, with no loss of services.

We have also gone down three places in the league table and are now the tenth cheapest council in England. I believe that is progress in the right direction.

So do you really want to live in Leeds in order to enjoy a 4.5 per cent rise but nevertheless pay £891.80 or Sheffield with a 4.9 per cent rise and pay £1,063.96 or maybe even Newcastle with a 4.9 per cent rise and pay £1,172.02 all for a Band D property?

Surely not.

Quentin Macdonald

Executive member resources,

Church Lane,

Nether Poppleton, York.

Updated: 11:25 Wednesday, May 05, 2004