Poor political leadership by councillors is the main cause for the doubling of Council Tax in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire since 1999.
According to the Government figures released to Parliament, Richmondshire District Council has seen the revenue it collects increase from £10.9m to £25.6m in the ten years to 2008 – 134 per cent in cash terms or a 78 per cent real terms increase. Richmondshire is now collecting £28.2m in Council Tax for 2009/10, another massive increase.
These are the biggest increases in Yorkshire and a damning indictment of the stewardship of Conservative and Independent Richmondshire District and County Councillors alike. This Labour Government has certainly decreased its financial support for local government in the last decade, but local Councillors have only themselves to blame for such a large increase in Richmondshire.
Dithering Councillors and above inflation pay rises for senior staff are just two of the causes for this increase. All too often it is the same councillors making poor decisions at both District and County level. We have too many County Councillors who are also District Councillors and doing a bad job at both levels. Some Councillors are clearly well past their sell-by date and need putting out to pasture. What Richmondshire needs are new Councillors with new ideas, sustainable and cost effective ideas for the 21st century.
Richmondshire Tory and Independent Councillors will increase Council Tax above inflation again next year with the highest Council Tax payers likely to be charged more than £3000 a year for 2010-11. That’s £250 a month and for what? Council Services will continue to be cut and standards decline. Richmondshire voters need to ditch these failed councillors and vote for change at the next election.
Leslie Rowe is the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Green Party in the Richmond Constituency, North Yorkshire and a Chartered Certified Accountant.
Promoted by Leslie Rowe 73 Richmond Road, Brompton on Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 7HF on behalf of Richmondshire Green Party, c/o 73 Richmond Road, Brompton on Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 7HF
