There has been a succession of misunderstandings from correspondents writing to the Oxford Mail letters page about why the county council is considering 10 per cent budget cuts over five years from April 2010.

A myth seems to have built up that the county council finances are in deficit or in trouble in some way. Quite the reverse is true.

The council has been given the very highest rating by the Audit Commission for the way it manages its finances. Our budgets are healthy.

However, the Government is billions of pounds in debt and will sooner or later be looking to balance its own books.

All areas of the public sector will pay a heavy price when that happens, including local Government.

There is no avoiding this stark reality. It is better to forward plan responsibly to cope with that than leave it all until the last minute.

Anybody who has a household budget and knows a big bill is due to arrive co-ordinates their finances in advance to deal with the situation. It is simple, responsible, common sense. The county council is applying the same logic.

It is precisely that kind of forward thinking that gets us the high rating from the Audit Commission.

It would be appreciated if people desisted from trying to make out there is a current problem with county council finances. There is not.

The problem will lie in the future and it will be a problem for every council and every area of the public sector, not just Oxfordshire County Council.

Some organisations will plan ahead, others will not. We are in the former camp.

Keith R Mitchell, Leader of the Council, County Hall, Oxford