Council Tax threat is 'ill-informed'

Cllr Gubby says to maintain services at current levels with a few essential additional items of expenditure will require a tax increase in the range of 21 per cent - an extra 47p per week for the average household.

But local government minister Nick Raynsford has told Rother he will not hesitate to use government capping powers if an increase above 5 per cent is passed.

It leaves the council with a major financial headache and Cllr Gubby this week urged the minister to see sense in a three-page letter.

In it he says Rother is a low-spending and prudent council being forced into tax increases due to a poor financial settlement and increased costs imposed by government regulations.

They include:

* An extra 50,000 a year, or a 1.4 per cent council tax increase, too take on new liquor licensing responsibilities as decreed by government

* An extra 40,000 a year (one per cent increase) on government inspection and auditing costs

* A massive 150,000 a year (four per cent) to meet government targets for e-government

An increasing homelessness problem caused by a lack of affordable housing is costing an extra 58,000-a year, equating to an extra 1.6 per cent of the tax bill.

Cllr Gubby says Rother has been given the very basic minimum grant increase this year, not the 5.5 per cent as stated by Mr Raynsford. The district also got just 43,000 from a 340m government pot to help local authorities keep council tax increases low. That represents a paltry 50p per resident per year.

r THE leader of Rother's Liberal Democrat group has written independently to Mr Raynsford, countering points raised by Rother leader Cllr Graham Gubby in a letter she describes as "aggressive." Cllr Sue Prochak revealed this week that the Liberal Democrat group had rejected Cllr Gubby's invitation to add cross-party support to his letter.

Cllr Prochak's says in her letter "there are more serious concerns about what is not stated in the letter.

"Rother cabinet have not given a lead to officers to find cuts or savings.

"Over the last four years the Rother's Council Tax has risen by 81 per cent.

"The argument is that Rother starts from a low base and continues to be the lowest charge in East Sussex. This has to seen in the context that Rother district has one of the highest proportions of the population in retirement on fixed incomes.

"Rother District have benefited from savings made through staff reorganisation, through the transfer of the De La Warr Pavilion to a trust, the sale of the council house stock, the decision to charge second home owners and increased government grants.

"While there are fundamental injustices in the Council Tax, I understand your Government are reviewing this. Battles over the fairness of the Council Tax and the over-centralisation of local government are to be fought elsewhere.

"Meanwhile we have a duty to residents to improve services and find savings.

It has been done before under a Tory Government who imposed capping and increases below inflation year on year.

"With the knowledge of possible capping, we consider it irresponsible toambush residents into paying more simply to embarrass the Government."

r UNION members have been working since Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford's threat to cap Rother to secure an agreement ensuring no compulsory redundancies.

In a statement on Tuesday, Rother UNISON secretary Peter Smith said: "The Rother Branch of UNISON is working with the Council to provide better public services for Rother residents.

"Government threats to cap Rother have come as a shock to our members. Service cuts will have staffing implications and the union is seeking a guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies."

r Grappling with cuts to services: Page 19.