No-show at council tax meeting (From Gazette & Herald)

No-show at council tax meeting

COUNCILLORS out-numbered residents when Ryedale District Council (RDC) staged a "come and tell us" seminar this week as part of the authority's new strategy to prepare its annual budget.

However, the 20 members of the council who attended were met by a wall of placards, some urging the switching of council tax to a local income tax, and specific cuts such as the axing of after-meeting drinks for councillors and cuts in the civic spending on the chairman.

Coun Pamela Anderson, chairman of RDC's overview and scrutiny committee, who chaired the meeting, said: "We are attacking the budget in a different way from now on. We want to hear your views."

She told the 17 members of the public that the budget would be aligned to RDC's new Imagine Ryedale scheme, which outlines policies on safer communities, development opportunities, health and well-being, creating vibrant communities and the protection of the environment over the next decade.

"Let's look forward rather than backward," urged Coun Anderson. She believed a number of Ryedale pensioners did not claim the benefits on council tax to which they are entitled. "It is not charity - it is your right," she said, adding that RDC staff were willing to talk to groups about the benefit system.

Much of the 65-minute-long session focused on Ryedale's tourism industry and the council's investment in it in marketing and its tourist information centres (TICs) at Malton, Pickering and Helmsley.

David Barker, of Cropton, said people who benefited from a council service, such as tourism and planning, should pay for it. He believed tourism was a "disbenefit" to Ryedale, because of the increased traffic it brought to the area. He also advocated doubling fees for planning applications but was told that charges had to be in line with Government legislation.

Coun Allin Jenkins said RDC expected to receive £218,000 from the Government for its planning services. The council wanted to take on an additional member of staff in the planning department to focus on forward planning in Ryedale. At present, the planning department was fully stretched at a time when applications had risen by a third. But, nationally, there was a shortage of planning officers, and specialists in IT and environmental health.

Coun Robert Wainwright, chairman of the policy and resources committee, said there was currently a review being carried out by the Government on charges for services provided by local authorities.

Coun Elizabeth Shields, chairman of the community services committee, strongly disagreed that people involved in tourism should pay more for promotion and other services. "Tourism is very important to Ryedale," she said. "If we don't get visitors, the whole economy of the area will go down."

The first place many visitors aimed for on arriving in the district, was a TIC. "Ours have been recognised nationally for their good work," said Coun Shields. She added: "I make no apologies for the money the council spends on encouraging people to come to Ryedale."

Visitors used Ryedale's shops and restaurants and other businesses which benefited employed local people and, in turn, they enjoyed a better standard of living, she said. The foot and mouth disease outbreak had proved the value of tourism to Ryedale when there was a sharp decline in the number of visitors and a resultant negative impact on the economy.

There was further support from Coun Howard Keal, who said it would be "the road to madness" if council tax payers only paid for the services they received.

Tourism, he added, helped the whole of Ryedale's economy and provided jobs. "A community is about supporting each other. It would be a sad day if we narrow things down so that we only pay for the things we use - it would be a philosophical cul-de-sac."

Coun Paul Andrews said there were a number of issues on tourism. "If the district wants tourists, it has to contribute."

In general, he said, the council tax was unfair and he wanted to see representations made at Government level.

Coun Natalie Warriner pointed out: "People forget that councillors also pay tax. The allowances we get in no way meet the cost of being a councillor."

Coun Philip Huntington told the meeting: "Councillors don't get a fat pay cheque each month - it barely works out at 16p an hour for the amount of work we do and meetings we attend."

A Wombleton resident questioned how the council would save money and, when asked what she would suggest, suggested ending civic dinners and council cars which, she said, "annoy people intensely".

Several people said RDC should publicise its meetings more widely and write its explanations on the budget in clearer English.

From the public, there was also criticism of the cost of cutting grass, but Coun Shields said well-trimmed verges were important to both residents and visitors. "If they are left untidy, people won't come here."

At the end of meeting, Coun Anderson said it had been "useful" and the public's in-put had been valuable in helping councillors prepare for next year's budget.

Coun Anderson said another public meeting was to be held later in the year, while the council would be meeting to discuss next year's budget, on June 22.

"In the past, we haven't started our meetings until November."

She said the points made at the meeting would be taken into account when the next budget is drawn up.

Two members of RDC, Liberal councillors John Clark and Nelly Trevelyan, declined to sit at the front of the meeting with colleagues, after Coun Clark said they had both opposed the new budget.

Updated: 11:19 Wednesday, April 07, 2004