I DO wish John Tanner would get his facts right. In his letter (Oxford Mail, February 5) he states “the Tories plan an above inflation increase in council tax of 2.75 per cent”.
However, the Government’s latest preferred measure of inflation, CPI, was 2.9 per cent in December.
In addition, he brags that the Government is providing an extra £1.5m for the next financial year.
The last leaflet I received from the county council said total spending was £910m, of which Government grants provided £452m.
Based on these figures the Government is (not surprisingly, given the horrendous budget deficit) providing an increase of only 0.33 per cent. My maths says the council has three choices – or a combination thereof: a) Raise council tax by even more to make up the shortfall in the Government grant increase of, at present inflation rate, £11.5m.
b) Cut services.
c) Improve efficiencies.
It is up to the political parties to put forward the best policies based upon the financial facts of life.
PAUL WILSON, Kennedy Close, Oxford
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here