Small Council Tax increase to stop some cuts?

[Angela P 10]

I never thought I would quote anything from a Bush.

 

"Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open."

 

Laura Bush

 

Please don't misunderstand me,I am not of the opinion that all libraries should close, I am a regular library user myself. I just think that the proposal to have 12 good libraries instead of 28 poor ones is a good one.

[Blackbeard 10]

Please don't misunderstand me,I am not of the opinion that all libraries should close, I am a regular library user myself. I just think that the proposal to have 12 good libraries instead of 28 poor ones is a good one.

 

Not quite what you said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by No User Name

I couldn't give a rats about the libraries. Sure many others feel the same. Can't see an increase over 2% being popular.

 

---------- Post added 25-02-2014 at 09:28 ----------

 

Just spotted Calderdale (Halifax) have voted in a FREEZE in Council Tax, if they can balance the books I'm sure Sheffield can have a stab at doing so.

 

Agree about libraries.

 

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10351424&postcount=43

[No User Name 10]

Err, I said that, not Angela.

[Litotes 63]

Why can you not collect the £31M unpaid council tax?

 

And don't tell me 'it's not that easy'

[gaffeff 10]

How does this balance? You say 2.95% will raise about £3.5m by adding roughly £180 per year to each household.

The costs would be £1m for losing the central government grant, £600k for the referendum itself. Leaving £1.9m.

Now these poorest 30,000 households have just been charged an extra £5.4m, what part of the remaining £1.9m is going to help them when you’ve just hit them with an extra bill of over double that. You’re making the situation for the poorest households worse.

That’s before I include what you’re spending on the libraries as you don’t quote the numbers.

This proposed budget is cruel!

[Blackbeard 10]

Err, I said that, not Angela.

 

Angela said "Agree about libraries"

[Douglas J 10]

If the council Stopped wasting money on stupid ideas in the first place that be a good idea , im sure the public can name a few millions the council have wasted over the years:P;)

 

Though funnily enough, most people name millions the Council "waste" on other people and very few people name any "waste" that they would personally be happy to lose.

[999tigger 10]

Blackbeard, dont forget many people won't, cant or don't read. They dont use libraries , so its not hard to understand why they see little utility.

[Cllr Rob 10]

How does this balance? You say 2.95% will raise about £3.5m by adding roughly £180 per year to each household.

The costs would be £1m for losing the central government grant, £600k for the referendum itself. Leaving £1.9m.

Now these poorest 30,000 households have just been charged an extra £5.4m, what part of the remaining £1.9m is going to help them when you’ve just hit them with an extra bill of over double that. You’re making the situation for the poorest households worse.

That’s before I include what you’re spending on the libraries as you don’t quote the numbers.

This proposed budget is cruel!

 

Welcome to the forum gaffeff, but your figures are wrong.

 

Less than 50p per week works out at less than £26 per year not £180.

 

The £3.5 million is after the loss of the government freeze grant.

 

The referendum would cost much less than £600k.

 

Final figures will be available in our budget amendment for the meeting on March 7th.

 

I don't understand how you can describe a budget which reduces cuts to social care as cruel...

[geared 319]

What about the 1 million w̶a̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ spent on the Sheffield Fairness Commission???

 

I find it surprising that the council are so hard up they need just 3.5m to save all those vital services, when last year they were more than happy to **** similar amounts of money up the wall on such stupid projects.

Edited February 25, 2014 by geared

[Cllr Rob 10]

Nice and straight forward then.

 

Can you just clarify, is the proposal 50p a week increase or the same percentage on all bills?

 

Just that if you're going for a referendum then may as well go for a big increase like 3.5 %

 

The proposal is for a 2.95% increase, which works out at less than 50p per week in a Band A property.

 

The majority of properties in Sheffield are in Band A.

[999tigger 10]

The proposal is for a 2.95% increase, which works out at less than 50p per week in a Band A property.

 

The majority of properties in Sheffield are in Band A.

 

As I said people are inherently opposed to paying more. You might convert some by showing them what its used for exactly. At least you give them the choice. I think they will vote no and would go further. If you offered them a cut they would take it irrespective of the effect as long as it didnt affect them.