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Calne councillors quit over council tax rise

10:58am Tuesday 25th November 2008 in


Two Calne town councillors have quit after a decision to triple the council tax precept at a meeting last night.

Councillors John Ireland and Dave Bland stood down after a vote was taken to increase the precept by 33 per cent.

In a resignation e-mail Mr Ireland, 61, said: “I am unable to support or condone the morally reprehensible decision to increase the council tax precept that was proposed and accepted by the other members at a voting base of eight for and six against.

“Whilst I believe wholeheartedly in the democratic process I have to say that my resignation is a matter of conscience and as I am against this (democratic) decision I am left with only one alternative.

“I am sure that the good people of Calne will stand in judgement upon those who have so cruelly betrayed their trust.”

The town council proposed the hike to help maintain the new Beversbrook Sports Field, but an average household will pay an extra £49.38 a year to cover the costs - an increase of more than 33 per cent on last year.

At the meeting Mr Bland said: “This council does not support the public and so I am forced to resign too. This is an immoral decision.”

People living in an average Band D property in Calne now pay £146.73 to the town council and next year this will rise to £196.11.

Coun Alan Hill said: “Many years ago it was agreed by the council that it would be a good thing for Calne to have a sports field and work was done to investigate the means to fund such a project. Eventually, it was agreed that sufficient funding could be raised to make the project viable and it was resolved by the council to proceed.

“We are now at the point where the project is complete. Beversbrook Sports Field exists, it has recently been handed over to Calne Town Council and is now our responsibility.

“A 96 acre sports field requires an expensive maintenance program and unfortunately, due to a lack of foresight in my opinion, money was not set aside when it was available to create a fund to finance the necessary maintenance costs.

“Consequently, the finance working group believes that the present town council has no choice but to raise the necessary funding by increasing the precept.”

Comments(15)

John Ireland says...
5:25pm Tue 25 Nov 08

But what Alan Hill does not say is that he telephoned around all weekend to get everyone onside and voting for the increase and when it came to the vote.........he abstained!!!

Surely that is just to ingratiate himself on the public as he stands to become a Unitary Councillor next year. I think that must make him the cynic of the year!!!

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timetogo says...
5:59pm Tue 25 Nov 08

How appalling. However you try to sell it, a 33% tax rise is simply unacceptable at any time, let alone at this difficult economic time. How ironic that calne town council choose to rubber stamp a massive tax increase on its ratepayers the same day as central government announce unprecedented measures to try to reduce the impact of the recession. It would appear that news of the credit crunch hasn’t reached the members of calne town council.



Good on Cllr Ireland and Cllr Bland for standing by their morals and resigning. Sadly though, it’s the ones that voted in favour of the budget that should go, yet won’t.



As for Cllr Alan Hill stating that “lack of foresight” meant they had not option but to burden the tax payer – poppycock. Those responsible, both officers and members, for the lack of foresight should be made responsible and named and shamed. Also, Cllr Hill abstained from the vote – yet here he is publicly announcing that the council had no option but to raise its precept (isn’t that supporting the proposed budget?). Perhaps he’s trying to distance himself from the vote to aid his ambition to be elected to the new Wiltshire unitary authority? Hmmm…



Calne Town Council should be ashamed. Over the past 5 years it has increased it precept on average 14.5% each year, at the same time inflation has run at 2.95%. Every year they feel they have a good excuse for it I’m sure, but how long can taxpayers stomach these rises? The council should be seriously looking at where it can SAVE money – may I suggest staff salaries & administration may be a good starting point!

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timetogo says...
6:13pm Tue 25 Nov 08

and another thing... that 33% is on top of the "one off" loan to the sports centre of £50,000 that we were taxed for last year.

Theres more to this than meets the eye. The white elephant that is Beversbrook Playing Pitches won't cost the full £250,000 precept increase to maintain surely. Perhaps the fact the council have been dipping into their reserves like no tomorrow has finally caught up with them?

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barbarella68 says...
6:28pm Tue 25 Nov 08

What a farce. Calne own council yet again letting the people down that they are supposed to be working for.Yes working for, so do that and work for us,and by the way I want to know who pays for the councils lunches out during the week as I have it on very good authority(me)that they go to a certain little pub most weeks and they are not having meetings(I was sat on next table).So where is our money going to I wonder.

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Peter Dolman says...
8:10pm Tue 25 Nov 08

The councils decision on Monday evening to increase the town's precept by 33% (40% if you include the leisure centres £50k one off grant)is unaceptable. I spoke against the budget and I thank the 6 councillors who had the strength of conviction to vote against the proposal. It should have been 7 as one "bottled" out at the last minute after being "persuaded" by Councillor Alan Hill.
In todays economic climate with people losing their jobs or home or both such a large rise is indefensible. It was claimed by councillor Hill that the increase was only 96p per week but as councillor Ramsey pointed out,to a pensioner on a fixed income or someone who has just lost their job its 96p to much.
Yes some of the increase relates to Beaversbrook but not all of it. The Beaversbrook costs are not essential as the work can be contracted out rather than purchase equipment for £54,000 or to employed 2 exrat members of staff for £40,000 or more.
The income from Beaversbrook next year is expected to be a grand total of £3,500. Thats £1,500 from hire of the cricket facilities and £2,000 from the football pitches. The council have made no income forecasts beyond next year so they don't really know at what level the demand will be but they want to buy the all singing dancing grass cutting equipment.
Does this sound like a prudent council that resonable people want in such challenging times?

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Geddi says...
8:32pm Tue 25 Nov 08

1st, is 33% a 'tripling' of the precept? I rather think this is a 1/3 rise not a tripling.

Apart from that, I think Calne Town Council ought to better manage the funds they already have and stop wasting them on foolish errands chasing flags/no flags ideas for umpteen meetings!

The way forward is for ALL of Calne's voting populous to get involved and make the next local election REALLY LOCAL with people whose entire families live in and around Calne standing for seats and having the town run by people with a REAL interest here, rather than loads of folks who arrived here just a few years ago and decided to get stuck in to give themselves something to do!

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TURKEY GIRL says...
1:11am Wed 26 Nov 08

barbarella68 wrote:
What a farce. Calne own council yet again letting the people down that they are supposed to be working for.Yes working for, so do that and work for us,and by the way I want to know who pays for the councils lunches out during the week as I have it on very good authority(me)that they go to a certain little pub most weeks and they are not having meetings(I was sat on next table).So where is our money going to I wonder.
I wonder that to.It seems calne council is ripping us off good and proper.
WWW.CALNETALK.COM

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aTTREBATES says...
3:53pm Wed 26 Nov 08

You old cynincs ! ! (LOL!)

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barbarella68 says...
11:08am Thu 27 Nov 08

Can somebody be brave enough and let us know who voted for the council tax raise or is that too much to ask for?Then I for one will let these so called councillors know that I am not happy and perhaps we should all bombard them with letters of disgust,and hopefully they will see sense(or perhaps not)

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timetogo says...
12:18pm Thu 27 Nov 08

If you look on calnetalk (search this word in google for the address), you'll find a thread under "Calne Political Chamber" all about this. Peter Dolman has listed the members that voted for and those that voted against. The biggest irony is the chair of the committee formally proposing the budget, Cllr Alan Hill, actually abstained from the vote!

Good luck, but I fear the letters will fall on deaf ears. Perhaps a letter to your MP may fair better? or both!

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barfar says...
1:13pm Thu 27 Nov 08

So exactly how many of those that voted for this increase live in 'Calne within' and will have to pay alongside the rest of us? My understanding is that the rise will not apply to those living in 'Calne without' ... have I understood this correctly?

And mentioning the flag flying from the town hall, wasn't there some comment a while back about there being fears of damage to the masonry? I could have sworn I saw workers drilling holes in the Town Hall to hang Christmas lights from .... obviously extremely concerned about damaging this lovely building!

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packard bell says...
7:26pm Fri 28 Nov 08

oh dear toy`s out of the pram , as i see it say goodbye to them & get someone else in that have lived here for a dam sight longer than they have , we should ALL be proud of what has been done at beversbrook, it is a community facility, ok clubs will have to pay for using it so what ? if they did`nt the tax would go up even more , let us all be very proud of what we have it will be the best around , dont moan about it get & use it , i will not be able to use it myself , i am to old, but i am not worried i have to pay for it , that will ruffle a few feathers i bet, but i will be watching football,cricket ,rugby & supporting my local sports club as i have done for many years

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Peter Dolman says...
8:53pm Fri 28 Nov 08

Those voting for and against can be checked out on www.calnetalk.com or on the Calne Town web site or by writing to the town clerk c/o Bank House.
Unlike most votes this one was recorded so that each councillor is asked are they for or against. The individual votes are recorded in the minutes. We can therefore see who to blame.

Councillor Hill is a member of the finance committee Councillor Colin Viner is the chairperson.

No one least of all me will argue against the Beaversbrook complex. I will argue how the maintenance can be paid for and its not the same as the council at least not all the councillors.

The increase will cost us about £50 per house and that is before any increase by the district & county councils or the police authority. If they were to increase their's by 33% it would cost us all up to £500 per year.

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Sneezy says...
12:22am Sat 29 Nov 08

The costs involved in running the facility should have been worked out before it was built.
Was a facility of this kind needed and if so why is it not more self financing if it is in such demand???
Such a rise in tax to pay for one facility does seem extreme!!
The council should be taking a good look at efficiency savings and be examining where money can be saved from all its budgets.

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Triton says...
1:34pm Sat 29 Nov 08

This has been discussed at great length on:

www.calnetalk.com

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