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£5 is no more than tube of toothpaste, says councillor

Friday, 11 February 2022 07:39

By Phillip Churm, local democracy reporter

Toothpaste is expensive in Dartmouth (courtesy: Adam Court/Creative Commons)

Dartmouth rep defends council tax rise

A South Hams councillor has played down a tax rise by saying it is less than the value of food residents throw away and cheaper than a tube of toothpaste. 

Tory councillor for Dartmouth & East Dart Rosemary Rowe also told residents to be “prudent.” 

Her comments came as members agreed to increase council tax after attempts to freeze it for 2022/23 were thrown out.

Officers had recommended that the district’s share of council tax for the next financial year be increased by £5 – or 2.85 percent on a Band D property. 

During a heated debate, opposition councillors John Birch (Lib Dem, Totnes) and Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Stokenham) had put forward an amendment that read: “[South Hams District] Council resolves not to increase council tax for 2022/23 and will retain it at the level set for 2021/22.”

It was suggested that the subsequent revenue loss of £200,000 would be replaced by an allocation from the government’s New Homes Bonus.  

But the majority of members voted against the amendment at the full council on Thursday (10 February) despite admitting they would hold £2 million in reserve. 

Cllr Brazil said their hand was being forced by the Conservative government. 

“I thought you meant to be a low tax party, but obviously not,” he said. “I refuse to be complicit with a disgraceful and discredited government. 

“They’ve had the opportunity to put up taxes. And so what have they done? They’ve taxed working people. 

“There’s lots of wealthy people in the South Hams and people who could well afford to pay a little bit extra.”

The amendment was also supported by Cllr Keith Baldry (Lib Dem, Newton & Yealmpton) who spoke of the “obscene, in my opinion, £2 million level of reserve sitting in a bank account in order that senior officers and Conservative councils can sit and feel comfortable.

He added: “People are struggling. We are taking, in a legal manner, from people’s purses, their wallets and their bank accounts, money. It is their money. It is not South Hams’ money.”

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson said she wouldn’t always oppose council tax rises but said, on this occasion, the residents deserved better, especially after major problems with waste collections.   

“The clear anguish that many people have been through with our waste delivery services and so many people have written to me about the fact that they haven’t had their waste collected properly,” she said.

“It’s been a horrendous thing to be a councillor, and I think we owe it to our residents to show something back.”

But some Tories were more dismissive of the council tax rise, suggesting it was only a very small amount of money. 

Cllr Rosemary Rowe called on people to be more prudent.  “What can you buy for £5 during the year?,” she asked.

“I could hardly buy a tube of toothpaste in a shop for £5 when you’re doing your weekly shop, so £5 is not an awful lot of money and with prudent housekeeping, prudent budgeting, I am sure that even people on the lowest incomes – of which there are many – but there are also people that are much better off. 

“We’ve always had these high and low income brackets and they can budget so they can afford to pay.

“And if people look in their fridges, they probably chuck out £5 worth of food a week, which they don’t eat because it’s past its sell by date.”

Some councillors suggested that putting of a tax rise would only be delaying the inevitable. 

Cllr Hilary Bastone (Conservative, Dartmouth & East Dart) said: “If council tax is not increased next year, there will be a loss of council income to the council of £200,000 for the next year and every year thereafter. 

“Furthermore, nowhere in the amendment does it address where the £200,000 loss of council tax will come in future years.”

Others challenged Cllr Brazil’s earlier comments by suggesting that freezing council tax would benefit wealthy people more. 

Cllr Tom Holway (Conservative, Ermington & Ugborough) said:  “Because by reducing council tax, we’re actually giving money back – or not charging money – to everyone. It includes all the people on the higher tax bands.

“We’re gonna end up giving more money or taking less money if you like, off the people with all the money and the big houses than we are the people who are less well-off and that concerns me and I would rather we kept this money in the coffers.”

The amendment to freeze council tax and avoid the £5 rise was lost.  Despite 12 members voting in favour, 16 voted against. 

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