The increases imposed by both the county and borough councils are again above the rate of inflation.

The county council is the main culprit, with an increase of nearly six per cent this year.

The SSA (Standard Spending Assessment) which is the government's assessment of an authority's spending needs has evidently been decided by highly qualified people. On the other hand we have a county council which complains that the SSA is unfair and that if services are to be kept at a reasonable level, there is no alternative but huge increases in Council Tax.

Who should we believe? It is a fact that local tax increases will further reduce the amount of disposable income of the average Council Tax payer.

No wonder local traders are at the end of their tether in trying to make a reasonable living.

Many people have blamed the problems of traders in Northwich on the Town Bridge repairs - but part of the blame must be placed at the door of the county council which appears to think that the Council Tax payer's pocket is bottomless.

It would seem that productivity and general efficiency, essential in any business, appear to be sadly neglected when the methods of work are planned in local government. It is so easy for public authorities (and this includes the police authority) to impose whatever charges they like.

We have no alternative but to pay up, no matter how inefficient they are.

No such luxury for private traders - if they increase their prices above a certain level, they go out of business.

Just what can the Council Tax payer do about what appears to be a problem which can only get worse?

Use the ballot box and make certain that the people representing us ensure that we are getting a fair deal.

At present we appear to be represented by nobody.

HAROLD DENTON

Marston Lane,

Marston.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.