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Simple lesson on council tax
• THE enthusiastic reaction of residents to Camden’s two-year council tax freeze has confirmed that the Conservative group was right to press over the last few months for the efficiency savings needed to make this happen.
People have been opening their doors to say thanks. This will mean we have managed to freeze council tax for three out of the four years that the Conservative group has been in the administration in Camden, helped by similar action by Boris Johnson in relation to his share of the council tax. Compare that with what happened in Labour’s last four years in control in Camden, when council tax increased by £128 at band D and £185 at band F. The lesson is simple.
CLLR Andrew Marshall
Council Deputy Leader and Conservative Group Leader
Finance elephant in the room
• WE have learned from the Liberal Democrat/Conservative administration that they plan to freeze council tax this year and next year.
This is indeed welcome, and will help ease the pain in all our pockets. But it does not address the huge “elephant in the room”, the £80million reserves that are held in council coffers. With this level of reserves, the administration could afford to give residents a rebate on their council tax or reinstate some of the services that have been cut in the past three years.
Instead they are promising £6million for a “recovery fund” and a review of how this has helped in “the summer”.
I’m sure your readers would have expected something a bit more vigorous from a group sitting on such enormous reserves.
Cllr Penny Abraham
Labour, Bloomsbury ward
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