Emotional rather than logical

In the report to Cabinet the following is stated:

9.7 Paragraph 4.1 above illustrates one such particular saving, reducing the cut in grants to the voluntary sector, which will cost £188k. This alone represents a Council Tax increase of £3.13 or 2.5%.


So this makes it alright then? Well no. This is an emotive reason for putting up council tax. Less emotive reasons for putting up Council tax are:

One Leisure is not increasing prices. This is a £150,000 cost to the council taxpayer.

The MTP bid says:

Another is:

The cost of Replacement Fitness Equipment comes from capital budget. This doesn't come from the "profits" the Leisure Centres are supposed to make because these leisure centres actually cost the Council taxpayer.

Or how about all this:

The St Ivo Leisure Centre is costing us £3,080,000. That over 36 years is £77,000 a year in Capital repayment. Also in the first year the interest at 4.5% is costing us £138,600.

Of course these few examples show extra money being spent. I just have to wonder whether using the above examples would have been a more honest use as examples rather than the emotive reducing grants to the voluntary sector.

HDC uses an emotional argument for the increase. Yet there are plenty of other examples of HDC spending more money. If these examples were put to the Council Taxpayers this may bring a different response.