With regard to the column last week in the County Times by Rosemarie Harris concerning council tax increases, I would have the following comments.

The council have a sort of “inverted” method for dealing with finances. In my former occupation as general manager for a large shipping company, if I had gone to the board members with a budget overrun and not had serious reasons for the overrun, I would have been shown the door very quickly and without mercy.

The council have no such restriction, they answer to no one, should overruns occur then just put up the council tax. No responsibility (or conscience) is shouldered by the council.

If you haven’t got the money you cannot spend it.

Ms Harris mentions new homes: there are a good many more than 100 private homes being built in the county, the additional tax from these homes is not mentioned.

The spiralling cost of council tax is not supported by increased services, the cost becoming a serious burden for householders.

I found the column from Ms Harris depressing in the extreme.

All Ms Harris is saying is that we can look forward to an increase in council tax every year with very little to show for it.

There is no drive or mention of stabilisation of costs. Such lack of initiative would not be tolerated in industry or commerce.

G Griffiths

Kerry