To think council tax rises are a joke

[lljr82]

Another huge inflation busting rise in council tax, but they've closed the library, not fixed loads of potholes, reduced rubbish collecting, social care is apparently poorly funded, the school has to beg for money at the start of each term, closed the fire station, closed a hospital nearby, reduced police numbers and won't even visit when my car was broken into even though there should be CCTV footage of it.

It just seems like a joke. Where is the money going?

I was required to put my home address on my register of interests which is a public document, Whirlwind.

It's a difficult line to tread between public accountability and the right to privacy and family life. I found it utterly draining as a lone female parent sometimes when I was being, frankly, harassed.

The police seemed sympathetic but in a letter I was told that the CPS would not proceed because being a councillor means that I had put myself in the public eye. I think this was a wrong decision and might write about it actually. I certainly think that decisions like this don't encourage the participation of women from different backgrounds in politics.

Just reading your longer post, Whirl.

I'm interested to read your blog if you can send me the link, I Was?

Agreed. I suddenly felt extremely old the other day ranting about this with a taxi driver . Our bin collections are now fortnightly and they won’t take your bin if it’s overflowing. I recycle as much as possible but I’m not superhuman, the bin is generally overflowing after a fortnight... They’ve added 20% on to my council tax bill.

Yes, I'd heard that was the case but I'm not sure public accountability ought to include your exact address, although I can see how a general idea of the kind of home it is and where could be important sometimes. I don't know it is tricky.

The idea of putting yourself in the public eye is something the puts me off politics too. I have seen how much grief certain people get and that's so gutting that the CPS wouldn't get involved. It's certainly worth it in some cases!

I'm interested in your blog too, if you wanted to send a link.

I am 30, so grew up on the internet. My entire generation has wrote bollocks on the internet as teenagers, with no endless warnings that it would be there forever. At the moment if we go for any kind of public role it can be used to sack us. I'd say that's a barrier for people my age and younger to inclusion too. It's certainly something that puts me off (and I don't think I ever did anything that terrible - but no one is right about everything at 15)

On the Northants side of life 18.2% of our council tax payments next year go towards NCC's debts. A lot of it LOBO and PFI loans with terrible rates.

Debt negotiation is something central government could get involved with, but doesn't seem to want to...

One's home address also appears on the ballot paper. It can be an advantage if you're local to the ward in some respects - swings and roundabouts perhaps.

I think what surprised me the most on first being elected was the complexity of education & schools' finances and the various government grant formulae, and the school placement rules. Byzantine stuff.

What comes under "adult social care"? It's the largest portion of my council tax expenditure, just wondering what it covers

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu care packages for adults who require support eg the elderly and those with disabilities or learning difficulties

There are more adults who are of working age who require care than ever before. They won’t have a family home to sell to fund their care and costs therefore are rising

Yes, adult social care includes elderly people that need home care or care homes that aren't paying for themselves and also adults with severe disabilities that need similar.

Both of these are growing populations.

Sorry uf its been posted before but Northampton council is in deep doodoo over fraud and dishonesty over the football stadium loan www.bbc.co.uk
Hope link works as on phone
Also bin collections going to every 3 weeks, paying for garden waste collections. The local tip was brilliant but now hours really cut resulting in flytipping down any quiet lane including mattresses and asbestos sheets. I think less community minded people load their car and find tip closed or a huge queue think sod this and drive up Newnham Hill a local beauty spot and throw it in the layby.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-northamptonshire-35403724

sorry try this link

Northampton CC will almost certainly be abolished in the next few weeks.

whirlwind
THANK YOU for your detailed comments. I shall cogitate on them and have a think about what can be changed in guidance (within the limits of incoming GDPR rules)

No problem Talkin hope it helps

Ours is 3K! Will have to use our savings to pay it 😣

Oh' don't get me started.
My biggest problem with the tax hikes is that we see nothing in return...absolutely diddly squat!!!
I was enraged a few years back when we received a pamphlet explaining the reasons for that years rise.....to pay the increase in the fire brigade pension pot!! Geez!!

I'm so sick of the private sector having to fund the retirement package of the public sector workers, why can't they fund there own fucking retirement plan? Why don't they fund mine?
It makes me livid!!

Private pension pots are funded by public sector for various reasons. Private business has no qualms about paying minimum wage and letting the tax payer top up those wages with housing benefits etc from government funds so shareholders don’t miss out.

pixelpuffin it’s not a race to the bottom you know. Why don’t you campaign for a better standard of pension in your workplace or even join the public sector if the pensions are so good?

Lots of people in my sector say the same as you but then look at the wage cut they’d have to take to join the public sector.

I’ve worked on both sides. There are positives and benefits to any job.

My views are well grounded, my partner is a senior consultant in the pensions industry.

my partner is a senior consultant in the pensions industry.
Bet he has not given himself a seven year pay freeze like the public sector has faced.

On the other thread I did the maths of Pensions as a proportion of Council Tax - its around 8%

The reason council tax is rising is the escalating cost of adult social care
ie pensioners whose private sector pensions are not enough to cover their care needs

so maybe your partner should have taken less out in fees and left more in their pots

I had a reduction due to being part time and dp currently out of work. It was £68 an now I've had a letter to say £144! Ludicrous! Especially as DP's jsa claim is being pissed about we haven't had a payment since he signed on 3 months ago other than my wage. How the fuck are we supposed to live? Especially when my bins don't get collected and my nearest street light is a 5 min walk.. Why am I paying so damn much?

Ahhhh a "senior consultant" bet he is on a low income like the vast majority of council workers.

why can't they fund there own fucking retirement plan?

Because they have crap salaries. My civil service pension makes up for my salary being vastly less than it would be in the private sector.

Public sector final salary pensions will eventually be gone too. That is the only way to long term balance the books.

Final Salary pensions are unsustainable and beyond unfair, they shouldn't exist.

youshallnot
Final Salary pensions are unsustainable and beyond unfair, they shouldn't exist.
Well if you informed yourself in any way about your council and its costs you would know that they have not existed in Local Government for several years.

MP's keep their of course