Dear Sir,
Election time is here, I hope people will make their decisions on facts not empty promises . . .
Some facts:
(1) According to the Town Council’s report, next year, a Band D property will pay £250 of its Council Tax to the town council. This will raise £1.7 million, which the Town Council will spend on its services and facilities. Each £1 of town Council Tax produces about £7,000 to the Town Council. To achieve a reduction of £1 a week in our town Council Tax, Cllr Michael Stead needs to tell us how he plans to save £350,000 from the Town Council budget.
(2) The County Council Budget Meeting minutes show that last year a Band D property paid £2,225 Council Tax overall, of which £1,654 was specifically for our County Council services and facilities. (The remainder consisted of the Town Council precept, plus money for Adult Social Care, Fire Service, and Police). Each £1 of Council Tax yielded about £142,000 to the County Council.
What reduction in the County Council Tax would you need to make a noticeable difference to your pocket – £3 a week? To achieve such a reduction, Cllr Michael Stead will have to tell us how he plans to cut £22 million from the County Council’s budget (on top of the £286 million per year the government will have cut from its funding by 2025).
Yours thoughtfully.
Mike Dixon
