Council tax shambles
Sir,
Labour-controlled Merton’s council tax consultation has descended into farce. As the closing date (4 November) approaches, the Wimbledon Labour Party has circulated a leaflet directly contradicting one put out by Cllr Alambritis and Labour councillors in Mitcham and Morden wards. The Mitcham leaflet has a similar questionnaire but is not an official document (although is designed to suggest it is).
This confusion and blatant politicisation further undermines the value of a taxpayer-funded consultation which has little to do with fact. It has been cobbled together to try to mask deep divisions within the controlling Labour group who have let the council’s finances fall into disrepair and damaged frontline services, especially those supporting the young, old and vulnerable.
Councils have of course been required to do their share of ‘belt tightening’ by national government but the fact is that since 2010 Merton’s usable reserves have increased by £60million from £41million to £101million. Of this, £26million has been put into the general fund and earmarked balances (which exclude reserves held for schools) but your money could have been used to ease service cuts instead of boosting the bank account. Meanwhile, the council tax bill (for Merton services, the GLA and other levies) for a Band D property has dropped by £34.67 from £1,412.92 to £1,378.25.
The council had an opportunity to raise a precept to support adult social care at its meeting in March 2016 but Labour councillors refused to do so even though it would not have cost council taxpayers a single penny more. These are Labour’s choices and they must be accountable.
Cllr Alambritis likes to play on his previous role in the private sector to persuade you that their approach is ‘business-like’. In fact he has let council finances rot. It is the role of councils to provide an appropriate level of services efficiently and deliver value for money to council taxpayers, something Merton Labour seem to have forgotten.
Cllr David Williams
Conservative Finance Spokesman