Is HDC deluded?

In the report to cabinet on the 2012/13 budget, it says the following:


9.8 The Council believes that local residents will wish to preserve these grants, recognise the Councils need to meet unavoidable inflation (there will be no pay rises again in April) and preserve valued services as far as possible both this year and in future. In order to do this the plan is based on increasing Council Tax next year by £4.34 per year for a band D property (£3.86 for Band C and £3.38 for Band B). This represents a percentage increase of 2.6% of the average District Council tax level, and 3.5% of this Council’s lower tax level.


Of course the Council believes that local residents will wish to pay more for services. That is how it works. Where are the consultations to back up this belief? I can't find one. So this is really a delusion because it hasn't asked the residents.

HDC believes that:

Local residents will wish to preserve these grants. 
Of course residents will want to preserve these grants. 


Recognise the Councils need to meet unavoidable inflation.
I don't recognise the need to meet unavoidable inflation. If something goes up in price then either change providers or cut services. Yes, it is that simple.


Preserve valued services as far as possible.
The Council has not defined what it considers as "valued services". Are these "valued services" what the public wants? or what the Council itself has decided are "valued services"? Take CCTV for example. The public decided through a consultation to scrap this service. The Councillors decided this service needed saving. 

In order to do the above plan this is based on increasing Council Tax next year by £4.34 per year for a band D property.
This is where Council thinking always goes wrong. Just because the Council believes the arguments, as set out above, then the people will pay for these services. I don't think they will. Otherwise the Conservatives will be pushing for a higher rise and a referendum to boot. 


I feel HDC is deluded it if feels people will pay more. If it does then put the whole thing to a vote at a binding referenda.