Councils rapped for increases below referendum point
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by political editor Paul Francis
Councils increasing their council tax
this year are under fire for setting rates that avoid the need to
hold a public referendum.
Communities secretary Eric Pickles has
accused authorities of being ‘referendum dodgers’ by deliberately
setting council tax increase below 3.5% - the point at which a
referendum would be triggered.
The minister did not single out
individual councils but two in Kent - labour-run Gravesham and the
Tory-controlled Tunbridge Wells - have both chosen to put up bills
rather than freeze them with the help of a government subsidy.
In the case of Gravesham, the increase
is 0.4% and in Tunbridge Wells, it is 3.3%. All other Kent councils
are holding the council tax at last year’s levels.
Mr Pickles said: ‘We are seeing a
number of councils acting as referendum dodgers who quite cynically
are raising council tax by 3.49 per cent in a naked move to dodge
the public vote. These councils are treating the electorate with
contempt. They should have the courage to put their hikes to the
vote and justify the tax rises. Instead they are running for
cover."
"Councillors have a moral duty to sign
up to keep down the cost of living. Anything less is a kick in the
teeth to hard-working, decent taxpayers."
Gravesham says its increase is needed
to stave off cuts that would have been even deeper.
It says the government’s offer was for
a one-off grant to hold the council tax this year but nothing in
subsequent years.
Tunbridge Wells council says its
increase means that it will be able to safeguard services at the
same level as last year.
Wednesday, February 08 2012
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