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Poole council tax to rise by 4.8 per cent (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Poole council tax to rise by 4.8 per cent
7:00pm Wednesday 11th February 2009
COUNCIL taxpayers in Poole are likely to face a 4.8 per cent rise from April this year.
Cabinet is recommending to full council next Thursday that council tax is increased by 4.8 per cent for 2009/10.
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This means the annual charge for a band D property would be £1,175.49, a rise of £1.04 a week.
“We are very conscious of the impact of any increase in council tax at a time when many people in our community are beginning to feel the effects of the economic downturn,” said council leader, Cllr Brian Leverett. “Similarly, the council has to make very difficult decisions about its own budget as a result of the downturn, with income from planning fees and investments falling sharply,” he said.
“At the same time, the demand for our services is increasing greatly as more people look to the council for help and support. Unfortunately, this means we cannot avoid a rise in council tax this year, but we’ve worked hard to keep this as low as possible,” he said.
Borough of Poole is among the lowest funded of all unitary authorities, with a funding settlement from the government of 1.75 per cent compared to 3.4 per cent nationally.
He added: “Our priority remains to deliver services that residents need at an affordable level and not to cut key services unless unavoidable.”
However Liberal Democrats will be urging a rise of under four per cent, at a time when many residents are struggling to make ends meet.
“There are areas where extra savings can be found,” said Cllr Mike Brooke, leader of the Lib Dem group.
“There doesn’t appear to be a freeze in portfolio holders’ massive 67 per cent increase in their allowances. They ought to be part of the budget and setting an example.”
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Your Say YourEcho
paul.p, says...
9:01pm Wed 11 Feb 09
JoJay, Poole says...
8:44am Thu 12 Feb 09
sea poole, poole says...
8:56am Thu 12 Feb 09
southcoastmatt, Branksome says...
9:07am Thu 12 Feb 09
Zzzz, Poole says...
9:17am Thu 12 Feb 09
MJD, HAMWORTHY says...
9:21am Thu 12 Feb 09
southcoastmatt, Branksome says...
10:14am Thu 12 Feb 09
John T, Poole says...
10:43am Thu 12 Feb 09
Whatever happened to all those reserves Leverett constantly boasted about having prudently put aside for a rainy day? They can't all have gone to pay for increases in Councillors' allowances and consultants' fees.
GB916, christchurch says...
11:03am Thu 12 Feb 09
g else still goes up and i have to pay,sat down and worked out that if the current trend continues,in 10 yrs time i will not earn enough money to pay my bills,so maybe its time for me to go with the dole scroungers and live the life of riley,as they clearly have more money than me and i have always worked fulltime
MoordownMarc, Bournemouth says...
11:16am Thu 12 Feb 09
I mean how else can our esteemed masters in the Civic Centre pay themselves those life time golden pensions and enjoy their nice short 37 hour weeks.
In the private sector where the humble servants toil many are working nearly twice as long just to keep their increasingly vulnerable jobs and of course pay their taxes - their pensions were broken by Mr Broon years ago.
Two tier Britain, those that take and those that have to give.
Andy D, Poole says...
1:25pm Thu 12 Feb 09
I wish everyone in Poole could get together and refuse to pay it.
I am a homeowner in Poole and cant see how Poole council can justify this increase. Oh and by the way does the council tax bill advise that spare cash will be invested and lost in overseas banks????????
let-it-loose, Poole says...
1:47pm Thu 12 Feb 09
godzillareturns, poole says...
2:56pm Thu 12 Feb 09
Andy D wrote:good idea andyd if we all stopped paying for just a month that would be a start, I fear it ould never happen though.
Disgusting "keep lining your pockets you greedy council leaders". I wish everyone in Poole could get together and refuse to pay it. I am a homeowner in Poole and cant see how Poole council can justify this increase. Oh and by the way does the council tax bill advise that spare cash will be invested and lost in overseas banks????????
John T, Poole says...
4:27pm Thu 12 Feb 09
Maureen Arthur, Hamlet of Poole says...
5:58pm Thu 12 Feb 09
Raise tax by 10% if you like - your're worth it!
oink.
John T, Poole says...
6:39pm Thu 12 Feb 09
I assume you meant tyreless work, as the wheels came off their wagon a long time ago!
kiltnasty, Oakdale, Poole says...
9:38am Fri 13 Feb 09
All Seeing Eye, Poole says...
9:48am Fri 13 Feb 09
They also have a Civic Club where they can purchase subsidised soft drinks, alcohol and food.
These things have to be paid for and who pays for them - Mugs like us!! Hence one reason for the council tax increase, although you don’t read things like this in their blurb.
A Council Worker, Wareham says...
12:50pm Fri 13 Feb 09
stuartc73, Parkstone says...
10:31am Sat 14 Feb 09
5 easy ways to save money
1) Scrap Poole News. Self serving Propaganda. Only keep it if it is self funding by private advertising.
2) Cut the marketing department. Why do we need marketing?? They're not selling anything. Council taxes are compulsory, you can't opt out. The only marketing needed is minimal for tourism.
We're paying people to dream up stupid buzzwords and phrases that mean nothing. Such as striving for 'Excellency'. Striving for adequacy more like.
3) If Poole Council doesn't have debt and have reserves in the bank, why are you keeping the reserves? You will only end up being tempted to spend it on something. The reserves should be diminished by lower Council Tax.
4) Offer partnership deals with neighbouring Councils to reduce admin costs. Seems to me there is a duplication of Government officials only 5 miles down the road at Bournemouth.
5) Combine the post of Finance Director and Chief Executive.
Just the tip of the iceberg.
Remember whose money it is.
Localsfirst, Poole says...
3:55pm Sat 14 Feb 09
SPM73, Poole says...
10:21pm Sat 14 Feb 09
The Council have money in the bank (probably millions) in reserve for a rainy day. Surely this is a Rainy Day, we are in a world wide recession and unemployment is at it's highest rate for years. What exactly are they saving this money for?
In the 15 years I worked for the council I could not even begin to guess how much money I saw them waste on things like - stationery costs, Marketing schemes (including printing costs for useless documents, publications and posters etc), projects that last for months and go nowhere or get canned, Job Evaluation (this has been going on for 4 years and is still not finalised, what a joke!), paying off incompetent managers rather than sack them, continuing to employee incompetent staff rather than sack them.
To be fair, there are one or two decent Councillors and there are some good Managers, but they are few and far between.
Most of the staff at Poole Council (excluding cllrs and senior managers) are decent hardworking people like the rest of us, and they are the ones that will take the brunt of the publics frustration rather than the cllrs and managers. Maybe they should spend some time at the Councills reception area or on the phone to the public, but I doubt that will ever happen.
Cllr Brian Leverett. “Similarly, the council has to make very difficult decisions about its own budget as a result of the downturn" - So does this mean then that Cllrs (who are voted in by the people) will do their bit this year and not take a huge pay rise and perhaps not put in that expense claim that they can probably afford anyway! What do you think!!?
All Seeing Eye, Poole says...
10:46pm Sun 15 Feb 09
A Council Worker wrote:You obviously 'work' for the council.
Sorry to contradict the last post, but the Civic Club (aka 'canteen') no longer exists. Such things (along with limited workday parking places) would of course never be allowed to exist in the private sector! And by the way, we all pay Council Tax too.
Two items are incorrect in your comment; I will not call them 'lies but let people decide for themselves.
• Private companies do not have car parks built by a local authority for the local rate payers then have them taken over by council employee’s.
• The Civic Club does exist; the name plate is opposite the Police Station and the club is under the Civic Centre.
I know you have to try and defend your ‘perks’ but don’t patronise the council rate payers with false comments.
I don't understand why you have to comment on paying council tax, do you think you should be exempt from that as well as all your other perks?
A Council Worker, Wareham says...
9:12am Mon 16 Feb 09
SPM73, Poole says...
2:49pm Mon 16 Feb 09
All Seeing Eye wrote:Sorry but you are wrong about the Civic Club. I am the last person to stand up for the Council, but the Civic Club was about the only perk (other than parking) that the staff at the Civic Centre had. Most places of work have at least a canteen, the Civic Club ceased selling alcohol years ago and was turned into a canteen/meeting area. It has now been closed completely due to "lack of funds".
A Council Worker wrote: Sorry to contradict the last post, but the Civic Club (aka 'canteen') no longer exists. Such things (along with limited workday parking places) would of course never be allowed to exist in the private sector! And by the way, we all pay Council Tax too.You obviously 'work' for the council. Two items are incorrect in your comment; I will not call them 'lies but let people decide for themselves. • Private companies do not have car parks built by a local authority for the local rate payers then have them taken over by council employee’s. • The Civic Club does exist; the name plate is opposite the Police Station and the club is under the Civic Centre. I know you have to try and defend your ‘perks’ but don’t patronise the council rate payers with false comments. I don't understand why you have to comment on paying council tax, do you think you should be exempt from that as well as all your other perks?
All Seeing Eye, Poole says...
3:12pm Mon 16 Feb 09
SPM73 wrote:I stand corrected :-)
All Seeing Eye wrote:Sorry but you are wrong about the Civic Club. I am the last person to stand up for the Council, but the Civic Club was about the only perk (other than parking) that the staff at the Civic Centre had. Most places of work have at least a canteen, the Civic Club ceased selling alcohol years ago and was turned into a canteen/meeting area. It has now been closed completely due to "lack of funds".A Council Worker wrote: Sorry to contradict the last post, but the Civic Club (aka 'canteen') no longer exists. Such things (along with limited workday parking places) would of course never be allowed to exist in the private sector! And by the way, we all pay Council Tax too.You obviously 'work' for the council. Two items are incorrect in your comment; I will not call them 'lies but let people decide for themselves. • Private companies do not have car parks built by a local authority for the local rate payers then have them taken over by council employee’s. • The Civic Club does exist; the name plate is opposite the Police Station and the club is under the Civic Centre. I know you have to try and defend your ‘perks’ but don’t patronise the council rate payers with false comments. I don't understand why you have to comment on paying council tax, do you think you should be exempt from that as well as all your other perks?
Zzzz, Poole says...
12:35pm Tue 17 Feb 09
kiltnasty, Oakdale, Poole says...
12:14pm Sun 22 Feb 09
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dopey, says...
7:43pm Wed 11 Feb 09
Oh dear, can we not tempt anyone to build more blocks of yuppie flats and put our spare cash in Banco de Collapso ?