Monday 5 December 2011

Brighton and Hove Budget - Part 3 - 'Below Inflation rise'

Vote PERRIN, Vote UKIP, Brighton and Hove City Council, Westbourne Ward, 22nd December
Coucnil Tax rise below inflation? No, 100% over Inflation - its doubled.

The budget makes quite a play on the following graph:
It shows how much above inflation council tax has risen over the past decade and a bit.

In the budget document this is included to used to support an argument that a 3.5% increase is 'fair' because it is below inflation, when many past increases have be far, far higher than inflation.

However, there are several issues here - firstly the reason the council are going for 3.5% is not because they want 3.5%. They are asking for 3.5% because that is the most they can ask for with out triggering a local referendum - and they know full well that they would lose that referendum.

I am quite sure that the Greens would ask for 10% of 15% increases as labour did in the early 2000's if they could get away with it!

Also, what is so magical about a single years inflation figure? My own graph:
Shows the net effect of the increases against inflation over the past decade.

Right now council tax payers are paying almost twice as much now as they should be according to inflation.

The council raise around £60,000,000 (sixty million pounds) more than they would if rises had been restricted to inflation. So what do we get for that £60,000,000? How did we get by ten years ago with out that money being taken from us and spent by the council?

I am sure every taxpayer would be happy to have that extra £400 a year back - to spend as they see fit, maybe with local businesses, maybe on local charities, maybe just to heat their homes over winter - whatever they, as individuals, have as their own, personal priorities.

What is the justification for not giving back what was taken, without explanation?
Vote PERRIN, Vote UKIP, Brighton and Hove City Council, Westbourne Ward, 22nd December

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