Forum Topic

Council Tax

See:http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&spage=common/eacounciltax2016001.htmThe Council claim that prudent financial management has allowed them to freeze council taxes for the eight year. What I do not understand is how cutting important services is prudent financial management?Would you be prepared to pay a bit more? Or do you feel the way that current funds are managed is hopelessly inefficient and wedded to obsolete working practices?Thoughts please.

Julian Smith ● 3645d13 Comments

I can't argue your points, because I don't know if it is indeed true that the closures will be of 'obscure services' (though I'm sure to those in need of those services they wouldn't call the obscure). I also can't say that the 'essential ones' are actually 'well financed'. I just know that Julian Bell himself on BBC Radio 4 said "We have huge cuts coming through still." To fund what exactly? Honestly, I can't say, I'm just a taxpayer. I'd leave that to the people I elected. (With our consent of course) But I don't think we're "moaning". All I'm saying is that an 8 year council tax freeze when 90% of the other councils in England are raising theres, seems irresponsible.

Howard Davidson ● 3626d

Raised to fund what exactly ? You could always argue for extra funding in any circumstances, however all we hear is vague threats of closure of some obscure services, whereas the essential ones are all reasonably well financed. What are people moaning about ?

Tom Carroll ● 3627d

This council tax freeze is just a political ploy on the part of Julian Bell and his cronies. They could easily raise the council tax even fractionally without much of an impact.

Howard Davidson ● 3627d

Like the garden waste collection or education or many other Council services eg day centres not everybody uses/used Heller House.  It is however something that we would all want to be there should we need it. Many seem to have become blinkered and too focused on me-now comfort and amusement and unconscious and unseeing and unhearing of the plight of others around them.  Your world may be alright now but it may not be tomorrow.  Wake up - once gone some of these places will be very difficult to recreate...  Community buildings and community green spaces are all threatened.  They all need friends.

Philippa Bond ● 3637d

I would certainly pay more, especially if it would mean that Heller House, a respite home for children with special needs, stays open. I cannot believe that the council have voted for it to close. It is a lifeline for many families.

Jaz Brown ● 3637d

I'd say you are on the money there Philippa

Julian Smith ● 3639d

So why make it more difficult for everybody who needs to look after anyone who is old and/or infirm by cutting the daycare centres and respite centres?  Doesn't this just increase the need for the NHS?  Or is that just the point - pushing it from one budget to another in this stupid puerile party political ping-pong.

Philippa Bond ● 3639d

There are cuts planned for quite a number of local services. Julian Bell himself has commented that the council now have no more room for manoeuvre and must cut even services they consider to be essential. I was recently talking to the manager of a youth music project in South Acton, and he has said they will have an ongoing funding deficit of around £5000 pa from next year. I'm not disputing that there are still some good local services - but for how long? And is it fair to claim that council tax is frozen when additional charges for garden rubbish collection (for example) have been introduced? Has anyone else noticed the increase in fly-tipping?

Julian Smith ● 3641d

you need other people's children like the air you breath so it's right you pay tax to a central pot for everybody.

Paul James ● 3641d

I cannot understand how it is that increasing national insurance is a complete taboo with any mainstream political party.It is way to low for the needs of the population which is living longer.We have appalling standards of care for the elderly and ill over the age of 65 and it will grow.At least N.I. goes to one area. Health and Pensions and it should be ring fenced and no-one  be eligible for it's benefits without putting in to the pot for a considerable time.All these breakaway 'charges' aka taxes by stealth are bad for the bulk of mainstream society.

Mark Kehoe ● 3644d

I believe that there are a great many things that we should and still do pay for, from which we don't benefit personally. Paying for education is just one of them and I would regret it greatly if society broke down so completely that individuals only paid for those facilities that they themselves used. Sadly there is an ever-increasing pressure from the public, aided and abetted by much of the media and some political parties to consider low taxes a desirable thing in itself, without bearing in mind the consequences, from food banks to poorly maintained pavements, libraries being closed to schools being unable to recruit properly qualified teaching staff.

Sue Rowe ● 3644d

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but it looks like I'm getting a bargain for about £150 per month:1. Children educated in very good local state schools.2. Great local library and a thriving community centre.3. Household waste collected on time.4. Relatively effective response to any environmental complaints.5. Good value public leisure facilities and proposed future investment in those.Admittedly, they have hiked Council Tax rather steeply a few years ago, so need to level it out now, which is what we are seeing with the ongoing freeze. I'm also not entirely sure why reducing the Ealing Jazz Festival to weekend-only is a concern, it was mostly tumbleweed on the couple of occasions I've been on a weekday.What are people complaining about ? A genuine question.

Tom Carroll ● 3644d

This administration use a different vocabulary from the Orwell Book of wordspeak.Prudent = Deception or StealthSubsidise = Fiction Would be far better to increase the council tax modestly rather than invent a load of extra tiers of quite high charges.In this scenario of "Subsidy" anyone who does not have a child and use the education services is subsidising other peoples children.So where is the rebate to those who don't or will never use the education services?It should be a one charge system.

Mark Kehoe ● 3645d