Anyone made a secret Freedom Of Info request about me ? Andrew?

[g jones]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Local government is so complex. It's just too easy for politicians to mislead people, as nobody knows the ins and outs. :/

I mean, if people see 'zero council tax rise' in their local paper, they'll expect it. When it comes to getting the bill it'll have gone up because of county council, the police and fire authority. Then when Hyndburn announce the actual increase of 3.6% so nobody has a shock when they come to pay the bill, the opposition scream 7% from the rooftops. Can't win.

Don't be a pillock. When LCC put it up 5% and Hyndburn 4%, The local Conservatives did what Pendle have done and screamed "less than County Council - don't blame us"

I have been there when you have played it the other way too.

[g jones]

From Accrington Observer

2008 Council Tax - plays it one way
"And it’s all being done for a council tax rise below the rate of inflation", said Councillor Peter Britcliffe.
He was expected to announce that Hyndburn ratepayers face an overall rise of 3.75 per cent, taking into account county council, police and fire service figures.
Hyndburn Council’s own increase was likely to be 4.95 per cent, meaning householders in Band A would pay just 16p a week extra for local services.
Councillor Britcliffe said: "This is all down to our financial strength.We have really turned the finances of the council around and we can afford to improve services even though we have been short-changed to the tune of £750,000 by the Government"

2007 Council Tax - plays it the other way
HARD hats, a gas-guzzling limousine and hanging baskets were all vigorously discussed in Hyndburn Council's budget debate.
The upshot was a 4.8 per cent rise in council tax.
This means a £9.59 a year increase for a Band D property and a £6.40 increase for a Band A home.
But the overall cost to taxpayers rises to 5.75 per cent when the precepts of the county council, police and fire brigade are added, costing the average household an extra £45.
The council's Conservative leader Peter Britcliffe blamed the increase on the Government "short-changing" the borough to the tune of £230,000 but said he had kept the increase below the five per cent "cap".

Council Tax 2004
HYNDBURN Council is set to increase its share of council tax by a whopping 10 per cent.
But when demands from Lancashire County Council, the police and the fire service are taken into account, the rise will equate to an overall jump of 5.8 per cent, fractionally above the Govern-ment's capping limit.
An annual budget of £12.6M will be set next week if the full council agrees to the recommendations of the ruling Cabinet.
Council leader Peter Britcliffe said every effort was being made to reduce the council tax further in time for that meeting on Tuesday.
He said: "We are working to protect services as well as we can but we are still trying to make as many savings as possible. If you look at the figures coming in from other areas, the shortfall from Government and the problems that have beset Hyndburn, I breathe a big sigh of relief that council tax payers will not be unduly punished."
...
HYNDBURN Council has announced its share of the annual council tax rise will be just 3.9 per cent - far less than the whopping 10 per cent it predicted last week.
In a huge U-turn, council leader Peter Britcliffe said savings of around £350,000 had been found over the past few days, reducing the required level of increase by more than six per cent.
And he pledged the council would "never again" get itself into the cash crisis that sparked the high rise prediction.
When demands from Lancashire County Council, the police and the fire service are taken into account, the rise will account to an overall jump of 4.92 per cent from last year, rather than the expected 5.8 per cent.

Council tax 2006
COUNCIL tax is unlikely to rise much more than five per cent when the final bill is announced in March.
Bosses from Hyndburn Council this week gave assurances they would not raise their shares by more than five per cent.
But they will have to wait for the police and fire services to say how much they need before they can set the tax on 2 March.
Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe made the promise about the borough's share of council tax at a public Question Time-style event last Thursday.
A five per cent rise would mean the average home in the borough would pay £43.35 more than last year.
EXCLUSIVE
HYNDBURN householders face an overall rise in their council tax bills of just under five per cent, it was revealed last night.
The council's Tory leader Peter Britcliffe was set to reveal a "budget for safety" with cash going to provide more CCTV cameras and employ six new police community support officers.We have been able to keep the rise below the Government target figure. Our share of the increase will be less than 13p a week. At an average price of just £2.60 per week per house our services remain great value and are less than an annual TV licence or buying a daily newspaper all year.

Council Tax 2005
RESIDENTS are likely to find themselves paying 3.8 per cent more in council tax from next month.
Hyndburn Council's own share of the bill is set to rise by 8.2 per cent, which will be ratified by a meeting of the full council on Wednesday.
The county council increase has been pegged at 3.5 per cent while the Police Authority has imposed a five per cent precept.
Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe told a meeting of the Cabinet: "The total rise proposed is well within the Government's recommended level of five per cent.
"Since most houses in Hyndburn are in Band A, which pays the lowest level of tax, it would mean an increase of only 19p a week in our share of the bill or around £32 per year overall.
"We have to pay extra costs but the Government has only given us £400,000 to meet them.

HYNDBURN Council's ruling Conservative group has managed to make an 11th-hour cut in the level of next year's council tax.
The rise in the council's share of the bill will now be just five per cent instead of the 8.2 per cent recommended by the Cabinet last week.
That equates to just 12p a week extra for householders in the most common Band A group. The overall rise, taking county council, police and fire service levies into account, will be 3.3 per cent, below the national average of four per cent.
In presenting his budget speech at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday, he said three factors had made this year's budget process a particularly challenging one:
Reckless borrowing decisions by previous Labour administrations which had left an ever-increasing burden of debt.

[g jones]

Andrew, you must be embarrassed by the above post?

[cashman]

Originally Posted by g jones

Andrew, you must be embarrassed by the above post?

ya gotta be kidding......... hes done a runner.

[Royboy39]

Originally Posted by cashman

ya gotta be kidding......... hes done a runner.

He will come back....Guns blazing you watch....I hope.

Hell of a post that from Graham.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Royboy39

He will come back....Guns blazing you watch....I hope.

Hell of a post that from Graham.

yep n quoting the paper.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by g jones

The Daily Telegraph did a survey as a % of income put Hyndburn top as a proportion.

I did not realise it was a percentage of income. I don't see why that is relavent. Just because the people of Hyndburn earn less money than some other areas does not mean it cost any less to empty the bins etc.

Originally Posted by g jones

Conservative leaflets steal photos and layout form Labour in 'childish' parody on community safety.

Sorry Graham but that was funny. Well I laughed anyway but I have been told I have an odd sense on humour . Anyway you got a result in the end.

Originally Posted by g jones

BTW I am still waiting for an answer on my question.... Good Tory Things in the last 10 years?

You might have to help him answer that one

[Neil]

Originally Posted by garinda

No, but in the spirit of glasnost, to those who may be interested, he could publicy say that he hasn't yet received the information he requested, as he has told me privately.

Does that mean you can't be trusted with private conversations? I thought was only after you have had a few beers

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Local government is so complex.

Perhaps it is for some.

For others it's very black and white, especially when it comes to what's right and wrong.

The blind, greedy arrogance of the Conservatives councillors who decided to award themselves massively increased allowances, going against independently arrived at guidelines, was wrong.

Nothing complex about that.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

Does that mean you can't be trusted with private conversations? I thought was only after you have had a few beers

Your question has been noted, and you should recieve the information by post within the next three weeks.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by garinda

Perhaps it is for some.

For others it's very black and white, especially when it comes to what's right and wrong.

The blind, greedy arrogance of the Conservatives councillors who decided to award themselves massively increased allowances, going against independently arrived at guidelines, was wrong.

Nothing complex about that.

thats very complex to a tory, cos they can't see it.

[Neil]

I think it is more complex than most of us realise.

How much influence do the Councillors have on the budget?
I suspect the majority of Council spending is set by the Council Officers and not the Councillors.

It would be interesting to know what the percentage split is between spending decided by Councillors and departmental budgets for refuse, cleansing, parks, licensing etc that is decided on by the department managers and accountants?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by cashman

thats very complex to a tory, cos they can't see it.

...or if they can see it, the best line in defence that they can come up with is 'Miss, Miss, but they did something naughty as well Miss!'

We'll have to wait and see if all this furtive digging around allows them to use that one.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Neil

I think it is more complex than most of us realise.

How much influence do the Councillors have on the budget?
I suspect the majority of Council spending is set by the Council Officers and not the Councillors.

It would be interesting to know what the percentage split is between spending decided by Councillors and departmental budgets for refuse, cleansing, parks, licensing etc that is decided on by the department managers and accountants?

Apparently some of that information will be sent out with your Council Tax bill.

It's sort of a sweetner, to take your attention from how much you actually have to pay.

Hot dogs and cans of Coke are very expensive in London, don't forget.

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by g jones

Obviously I have said this a lot but I think there is a need to say it again to you Andrew. The Daily Telegraph did a survey as a % of income put Hyndburn top as a proportion. The Lancashire Telegraph repeated it pointing out Hyndburn's position. Labour Party re-printed the story. If it was a proven lie then seek legal advice.

I have said this a lot, but since councillors who actually want to be in charge of the borough don't understand, I think there is a need to say it again to you, Graham. I do wish we could just meet up, it'd be easier to teach you in person.

When will you realise that:

1. We have mostly band A and band B housing in Accrington (80%).
2. Naturally we have a low average wage, and people live in those band A and B houses.
3. The Daily Telegraph article quotes band D (that's two to three bands higher than most residents).

The percentage of income looks high, because of reason 1, 2 and 3 combined. Namely that people don't live in band D housing. People don't pay band D prices.

Accrington is not a band D predominant area. Accrington residents do not mostly pay band D rates. Hardly any of them pay band D rates.

How do you expect people to trust you with the borough when you either,
A) Still don't have a clue what I'm on about
or
B) Still refuse to admit you're wrong and try to mislead people.