John Beesley: The Lib Dems are pushing up Council Tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by 7.4 per cent
Why resist verification?
Cllr John Beesley is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council
Just before Christmas, I was made aware that Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole Council’s Lib Dem leadership were secretly trying to obtain permission from the government to raise council tax in excess of the capped 4.99 per cent for 2006/27, but without the inconvenience of a public referendum as would normally be required.
Even 4.99 per cent is an inflation-busting increase, and anything greater would of course be on top of the new precept being charged by the Lib Dems for their brand-new tax-raising Town Councils. Once the Bournemouth Daily Echo were made aware, it was revealed by the Lib Dem administration that their preferred increase in Council Tax is in fact 7.4 per cent. If successful in obtaining the government’s permission for this 7.4 per cent increase, they will presumably attempt to repeat the exercise next year as well, and since it is an election year, pretend that it was the government’s idea.
Obviously, until the secret was forced out, nobody else was aware of the Lib Dem administration’s continued lack of ambition to keep bills down for residents, leading to this consequential attempt to burden them with even higher taxes, and a complete unwillingness to do so in a democratic, open and transparent way. The referendum threshold is of course there for a reason – to allow local democracy to have its say before the council requires residents to pay in excess of the limit in their council tax bills.
In addition, new Town Councils have been imposed on residents across Bournemouth and Poole and come into being this Spring. They carry an additional council tax charge, and residents will be forced to pick up the £1million cost of holding fresh elections for them in May, in addition to the costs charged to residents for setting them up and running services through them, services which are already being paid for through the existing council tax. The gross cost of the three town clerks alone comes to an eye-watering £250k per annum, again for residents to pay in the new precept. These new Town Councils in Bournemouth and Poole are unwanted and unnecessary, and are being imposed against the overwhelming results of the Council’s own consultation of residents.
To help reduce the burden of unwanted cost, the Lib Dem administration could of course, make changes to some of its political priorities and save the Council money that it doesn’t have. For example, it could start by shelving its soon to be introduced residents’ card which in reality is really no more than a political gesture to be paid for by local council taxpayers.
And as if all that isn’t enough, within the following two years we shall also see yet another precept added for …
Why resist verification?
Cllr John Beesley is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council
Just before Christmas, I was made aware that Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole Council’s Lib Dem leadership were secretly trying to obtain permission from the government to raise council tax in excess of the capped 4.99 per cent for 2006/27, but without the inconvenience of a public referendum as would normally be required.
Even 4.99 per cent is an inflation-busting increase, and anything greater would of course be on top of the new precept being charged by the Lib Dems for their brand-new tax-raising Town Councils. Once the Bournemouth Daily Echo were made aware, it was revealed by the Lib Dem administration that their preferred increase in Council Tax is in fact 7.4 per cent. If successful in obtaining the government’s permission for this 7.4 per cent increase, they will presumably attempt to repeat the exercise next year as well, and since it is an election year, pretend that it was the government’s idea.
Obviously, until the secret was forced out, nobody else was aware of the Lib Dem administration’s continued lack of ambition to keep bills down for residents, leading to this consequential attempt to burden them with even higher taxes, and a complete unwillingness to do so in a democratic, open and transparent way. The referendum threshold is of course there for a reason – to allow local democracy to have its say before the council requires residents to pay in excess of the limit in their council tax bills.
In addition, new Town Councils have been imposed on residents across Bournemouth and Poole and come into being this Spring. They carry an additional council tax charge, and residents will be forced to pick up the £1million cost of holding fresh elections for them in May, in addition to the costs charged to residents for setting them up and running services through them, services which are already being paid for through the existing council tax. The gross cost of the three town clerks alone comes to an eye-watering £250k per annum, again for residents to pay in the new precept. These new Town Councils in Bournemouth and Poole are unwanted and unnecessary, and are being imposed against the overwhelming results of the Council’s own consultation of residents.
To help reduce the burden of unwanted cost, the Lib Dem administration could of course, make changes to some of its political priorities and save the Council money that it doesn’t have. For example, it could start by shelving its soon to be introduced residents’ card which in reality is really no more than a political gesture to be paid for by local council taxpayers.
And as if all that isn’t enough, within the following two years we shall also see yet another precept added for …
John Beesley: The Lib Dems are pushing up Council Tax in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by 7.4 per cent
Why resist verification?
Cllr John Beesley is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council
Just before Christmas, I was made aware that Bournemouth Christchurch & Poole Council’s Lib Dem leadership were secretly trying to obtain permission from the government to raise council tax in excess of the capped 4.99 per cent for 2006/27, but without the inconvenience of a public referendum as would normally be required.
Even 4.99 per cent is an inflation-busting increase, and anything greater would of course be on top of the new precept being charged by the Lib Dems for their brand-new tax-raising Town Councils. Once the Bournemouth Daily Echo were made aware, it was revealed by the Lib Dem administration that their preferred increase in Council Tax is in fact 7.4 per cent. If successful in obtaining the government’s permission for this 7.4 per cent increase, they will presumably attempt to repeat the exercise next year as well, and since it is an election year, pretend that it was the government’s idea.
Obviously, until the secret was forced out, nobody else was aware of the Lib Dem administration’s continued lack of ambition to keep bills down for residents, leading to this consequential attempt to burden them with even higher taxes, and a complete unwillingness to do so in a democratic, open and transparent way. The referendum threshold is of course there for a reason – to allow local democracy to have its say before the council requires residents to pay in excess of the limit in their council tax bills.
In addition, new Town Councils have been imposed on residents across Bournemouth and Poole and come into being this Spring. They carry an additional council tax charge, and residents will be forced to pick up the £1million cost of holding fresh elections for them in May, in addition to the costs charged to residents for setting them up and running services through them, services which are already being paid for through the existing council tax. The gross cost of the three town clerks alone comes to an eye-watering £250k per annum, again for residents to pay in the new precept. These new Town Councils in Bournemouth and Poole are unwanted and unnecessary, and are being imposed against the overwhelming results of the Council’s own consultation of residents.
To help reduce the burden of unwanted cost, the Lib Dem administration could of course, make changes to some of its political priorities and save the Council money that it doesn’t have. For example, it could start by shelving its soon to be introduced residents’ card which in reality is really no more than a political gesture to be paid for by local council taxpayers.
And as if all that isn’t enough, within the following two years we shall also see yet another precept added for …
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