“Don’t put up council tax” was the quote from the Deputy Mayor in Friday’s Mail. There must be an election coming because this is the Deputy Mayor who holds the Finance Portfolio and who, to the best of my recollection, has NEVER voted against a Council Tax rise in the entire time Hartlepool has suffered under the Mayoral system. Last year Hartlepool’s two UKIP Councillors, myself and Martyn Aiken, were the ONLY Councillors to vote “NO” at the meeting to formally set Council Tax. A few Independents abstained but every other Councillor voted YES to the Council tax increase. The Labour Group voted en-bloc to put up the Council Tax and their poodles in the Lib-Dems and brown noser Tories dutifully supported the Labour group.
I intend to keep the page from the Hartlepool Mail and should the Deputy Mayor once again propose an inflation busting rise I will point to his remarks and ask him what changed his mind? Many years ago there was a move for a zero based budget for Hartlepool Council, it never happened If anyone asks about it now there are just shrugs. It is down to Councillors to decide what the level of Council Tax increase should be. I will be voting “NO” to any rise next year, as I have voted “NO” every year whilst I have been a Member of Hartlepool Council. Maybe, just maybe there will be more than the lone voices of UKIP speaking out for Council Taxpayers next year?
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