Independent councillor questions tax rise

Councillor Alastair Little used his first attendance at a Lichfield District Council meeting since becoming an independent councillor to challenge proposals to raise council tax in the district.

He said the council had substantial reserves, and didn’t need to raise taxes for the coming financial year.

Councillor Little commented: “I’m an independent member on this council, after leaving the Conservative group, and I feel what we need to do is that citizens need to have their say within the council.

“We need to say we have got there years worth of reserves, there are some people here that don’t even have one week’s worth of reserves.

“So if we put council tax up by what we’re thinking, there is trouble.”

He added: “We have a few more years left in our tank, that we can now say: ‘you can run your household, you can eat, you can have your heating on,’ and despite what we’re getting from national government we can survive. That is what we do locally.”

He said: “My questions are really quite political.

“I do understand we are in a very, very difficult time but aren’t we as a council here to help you through it?”

Councillor Little also took a swipe at Michael Fabricant, saying the Lichfield MP didn’t even know where the Hammerwich With Wall ward is.

“Lichfield residents need their representation locally, and we can go national and get there.

“If Michael Fabricant’s support for Boris Johnson, is a way of getting more money rather than cancelling schools up north, we should be in for a bloody good windfall!”

Council leader Doug Pullen seemed slightly lost for words, responding: “Where to start with that… umm…”

Councillor Pullen said 80 per cent of respondents to a recent survey said an increase in council tax would be acceptable to help maintain services and half of those said a two per cent increase (representing £5 per year) would be acceptable.

He acknowledged, however, that the number of respondents to the survey was very small, despite being an increase on figures from previous years.

He said: “We know people want their bins collected, we know that people want our services to continue.

“So recognising that 2022 will be a difficult year for us – we are residents as well as councillors – recognising that there will be inflationary pressures on the council as well as residents, how do we find that middle ground?

“Our costs are going to inflate this year. We need to protect all of the frontline services we provide and yet we don’t want to pass all of those costs on to our residents.

“So I think the 1.5 per cent [increase] is our attempt at finding that balance between accepting that we may need to raise it slightly.

“If we were to do a freeze [on council tax] it would represent a reduction in real terms.

“So it’s about finding that balance for us.”

Councillor Little replied: “I do sympathise with the position we’re in, but when we increase locally our council tax, 90 per cent of it goes to Staffordshire County Council and 10% comes to us.

“We are not here to fund the rest of Stsffordshire. Can we please, at this council, represent Lichfield and please just make sure we don’t give our money away.

“We need to provide services, I agree with that, but when it comes to the MTFS [medium term financial strategy] we have £7 million in reserve.

“We have many cabinet members questioning whether we can even build a leisure centre.

“Can we provide the services for Lichfield?”

Councillor Pullen reminded those present that the MTFS applied only to Lichfield District Council.

He said: “It is a couple of pounds over the year. Yes, it’s a rise.

“I think people will accept having a rise that I hope will be approved by full council rather  than just cabinet, clearly.”

The average Band D house will see their council tax go up by around £2 per year.