BILL O Connor tries to pass the buck for his Labour Party colleagues in Westminster (Letters, March 19). If central government does not fully fund its share of the local tax burden, then the ratepayers must. The Government fully realises this and so threa
BILL O'Connor tries to pass the buck for his Labour Party colleagues in Westminster (Letters, March 19).
If central government does not fully fund its share of the local tax burden, then the ratepayers must. The Government fully realises this and so threatens to cap authorities that exceed a five per cent rise.
Anyone with half a brain will realise that being deprived of money from both Government and the local taxpayer can result only in cuts in services.
The councils that have traditionally had the highest Council Tax are less affected by these policies than the traditionally low tax councils such as Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire.
The only fair cap would be the total sum of money a council could charge each taxpayer, which would rein in the existing high spenders and reward the traditional low spenders, and give them the opportunity of supplying the services we would all like.
People should look at the information sent to them and they would then realise that HDC empties our bins, sweeps our streets, provides swimming pools, leisure centres, parks and countryside, building control and environmental hygiene services, on just 75 per cent of the money the police charge us for their services. In fact, in some places the parish rate is higher than the HDC rate.
BOB BARNES
Chestnut Grove
Eynesbury
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