How to plug holes in the council’s finances? we were asked (Letters, January 23). The current Labour administration has found one way - cancel any crazy scheme with the words ‘cycle track’ in it. Then axe any scheme with the words ‘climate change’ in.
It’s quite simple really: draw up a list of priorities, which the electorate actually agree with, then spend what you have working down that list. Then when the money runs out, you stop the spending.
As a final resort, how about just abolishing the council altogether? Children from the local primary schools could do a better job of filling potholes than the contractors the council hires, and I’m sure they’d be a lot cheaper.
Dr Scott Marmion, Woodthorpe, York
Ask what you can do for your city
Derek Reed asked for ideas to help York city council with its budget deficits. To misquote John F Kennedy: “Ask not what your city can do for you, but what you can do for your city.”
York council starts off with grandiose plans but seems to lose interest.For example the topiary boxwood plants in front of the Mansion House in St Helen’s Square, once magnificent, are now dead through lack of water. If the Lord Mayor watered them a couple of times a day they would have survived.
Or why couldn’t local businesses water/ maintain them? Businesses used to clean and even wash the footpaths and clear the snow outside their premises. Why not now?
Apparently in Germany it is expected of you to keep the front of your homes tidy. With us it’s ‘we pay rates, the council should do it’. We need more community pride. This wouldn’t lower rates but would make York look better.
DM Deamer, Monkgate
Increase the rent paid by Spark:York
York Council’s proposals to deal with a multi-million pound deficit leave a lot to be desired. Instead of trying to slash £300,000 per annum off the Explore Library budget how about increasing the rent paid by their favoured Spark tenants on Piccadilly?
The current rent of only £25,000 a year is robbing taxpayers of around £200,000 a year.
It has been demonstrated to every councillor that if 17-21 Piccadilly were turned into a modest 43 space car park the expected annual revenue would be £219,300.
With a proposed increase of 30p on all council parking charges this income would be expected to increase significantly.
Matthew Laverack, Lord Mayors Walk, York
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