Keeping Residents In Touch

The role of District Councillor has changed dramatically since the year 2000. Government policy and public awareness has meant that Councillors need to be more accountable than ever before to their electorate. Technology has also moved on and in Heyhouses your Conservative Councillors are at the forefront of adopting e-mail alerts, Blogs and Newsletters such as the Heyhouses Harrier to keep you up to date. Our monthly mobile Ward surgeries are also a vital face to face opportunity for residents to keep in touch with us. Finally the Heyhouses Branch committee, made up of volunteers, plays a vital supporting role in campaigning and fund raising. If you would like to play a more active role in your area and would like to become part of the team, then please get in touch. We hope you enjoy the Blog.

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Tuesday 19 February 2008

Fylde Borough Council On Line Poll - Would/Should you Pay More?

As the debate rumbles on regarding the current financial plight of the Council a number of key issues and messages are starting to become very clear. Firstly the lack of understanding regarding the amounts of money the Council raises through Council Tax, every letter, email and face to face discussion I have had on the budget highlights the misconception that Fylde Borough Council collects and keeps ALL the tax it raises each year. All are shocked that of the average Band 'D' total of £1300.00 we collect, only £160.00 stays within the Fylde, the rest going to County Hall, the Police and Fire Services.

Secondly most fail to realise where the the £11 million of revenue budget is spent each year. For example in simplistic terms, we pay almost £8 million in wages and pension costs, £1.2 million in waste collection and cleansing services and another £1 million in parks, open spaces and other Cultural Services related facilities. After the £433,000 spent subsidising the two pools, the amount left leaves approximately £500,000 to cover a whole miriad of issues across Fylde.

The District proportion of Average Band 'D' Council Tax retained in Fylde is on average £35.00 less than other Lancashire District Councils. Should the Council be allowed to raise it's Council Tax above the 5% capping limit, without fear of Government Capping and Penalties to ensure the retention of the Boroughs 'non-statutory' facilities and to respond to local wishes?

Although the Council is unlikely to run the risk of breaching the cap, it would be interesting to know whether residents would support a significant rise in the Fylde element of their Council Tax? I have asked the Council to run a Poll on the homepage of it's website to guage your views. Please copy the following link into your browser to take part:

http://www.fylde.gov.uk/index.aspx
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