YOU can say a lot with statistics. And what Coun Steve Galloway was attempting to do with his tables and figures and list of complaints, was persuade us why - in his opinion - the Lib Dem council tax rise was fair (March 16).

But some statistics were missing from Coun Galloway's article, a piece that included great chunks from his party's latest Focus leaflet - hardly an independent and objective source.

We are told the Government is demanding more from councils, which it is. But why aren't we told the Government is giving more too?

The Government's net grant to the council is £8.6 million better than last year, compared with the £5 million increase we got the year before.

What about his claims that it is all the fault of previous councils? Last year the council's financial chief - who, by law, has to vet the budget - approved Labour's proposals saying it left "no built-in underlying problems for future years".

Labour's financial management has also had the independent District Auditor's seal of approval down the years.

Nor did Coun Galloway advocate a different course of action or a different council tax level last year.

To York people the one statistic that matters is the amount they will have to pay, and the Lib Dems have put the council tax up by 8.5 per cent.

Labour's budget amendments showed that, by finding additional savings and reducing some of the more extravagant Lib Dem growth plans the tax rise could have been only 5.7 per cent and older people would still have received the increased £50 of travel tokens.

Coun Dave Merrett,

Leader of the Labour Group,

City of York Council,

White House Gardens,

Tadcaster Road, York.

Updated: 09:37 Saturday, March 20, 2004