Letter to Editor: Tory finance boss on council tax bill
Politics / Tue 22nd Mar 2022 at 09:58am
RESIDENTS are receiving the Council Tax bill which sees the Conservatives £205 Council Tax cut for Harlow residents.
This is made up by:
1. £50 direct cut from the Conservative-run Harlow Council.
2. £5 off for the cancellation of Labour’s planned Council Tax increase
3. £150 Council Tax rebate from the Conservative Government (direct in April) for over 90% of Harlow homes
Taken together, over 34,000 Harlow households will receive this £205 Council Tax cut this year. This is only possible, because we are fully committed to doing everything possible to helping families with the cost of living. We understand that no other authority in the UK has introduced such a tax cut at this time.
This was all done with no cuts to services, no job losses and no detrimental impact whatsoever on council finances.
In fact, we’re investing hundreds of millions into regenerating our town, improving the environment, building new council homes for Harlow families and making Harlow the best town in Britain.
Cllr James Leppard
Portfolio Holder Finance
David
2022-03-22 10:51:51
Cllr Leppard, my Tax bill has increased, not everyone gets the £150 rebate you should point that out more clearly and don’t put your headlines as most people are better off . I am certainly not what do you say to those people who don’t get the £150. Awaiting your reply.
Nostradamus
2022-03-22 11:08:51
And that's why the accounts don't balance. You can fool some of the people for some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. At a time when the government has so badly managed the energy economy, wasted billions on unusable pipe, was caught pants down unprepared for COVID whilst Partying in Westminster and is wasting more millions on building roads that will create gridlock in the town, crossings that will destroy Habitats in the Stort Valley and create more frequent flooding in Harlow and overloading the town centre with high rise slums it's a bit rich that Cllrs have the temerity to show their faces let alone boast about cuts that with rampant inflation and exponentially rising costs will create cuts in the quality of services across the board. Of course a Conservative solution will be to pursue policy that has facilitated the P&O option, cut wages to £1.81 an hour or only to let refugees from Ukraine in to pick the crops from the fields. Whilst the local Harlow Council makes cuts in tax the County Council increases them the result is that it's a slight of hand just shifting the tax around. The same dishonest strategy Harlow Tories employed in the last set of elections blaming the then Harlow Labour administration for the bad services eg pot hole repair when it was the clear fault and responsibility of Tory Essex County Council. Be warned about the May election the Conservatives are playing the same game. Plus using the Council tax payers money for electioneering in the Official Council magazine and apparently not including it in their declared election expenses. Methinks this propaganda is against the rules. A freedom of information request is needed to the Council and the Election Commission is needed perhaps.
Nostradamus
2022-03-22 11:11:31
Correction ! "unusable PPE "
Neil Warner-Baker
2022-03-22 13:03:38
Hold on minute, if your mixing local government figures with national government figures then please be a bit more honest..Our Conservative government is about to put up National insurance contributions yet again. This time from 12% to 13.25%, this is on top of income tax..thats an extra £1.25 for every £100 we earn..So on an average wage that's an extra £325 tax increase...
peter henegan
2022-03-22 13:40:55
Cllr Leppard shows what is so frustrating with politics. Of course I am happy that my Harlow council tax bill will reduce. I am also happy to be receiving £150 although not so happy that this is because my energy bills will be rising by £100s, perhaps £1000s. Nostradamus has mentioned some of the increases coming through, he didn't mention the freezing of tax allowances. My pension will increase in April, not as much as I expected because of the broken promise on the triple lock and all of the increase will be subject to income tax because of the frozen allowances. Cllr Leppard, If I was you I would be promoting what Harlow conservatives are doing for the town and not going anywhere near national issues (incidentally, would Putin have invaded Ukraine had Brexit not happened-did he perceive a European weakness?). I have to say that whilst I see the tories nationally and county as a joke I really cannot get any clear idea as to which party is best for
Nick
2022-03-22 14:48:44
@Peter Henegan with respect Councillor Leppard has only referred to what the Conservative controlled Harlow Council has done the only person who has referred to national and county issues, which are outside of Cllr Leppard's control, is Nostradamus (one of Cllr Durcan's spin doctors?)
James Leppard
2022-03-22 16:45:51
I would like to reply to some of the questions and comments made on this post. 1. David - The £50 (plus £5 tax rise cancellation) benefit ALL residents who pay Council Tax. The £ 150 Council Tax rebate from the Government benefits all council tax residents in properties in Bands A to D. If you live in a property in a higher band, you would not be eligible. Please inform me if this is not your case and I will be happy to enquire. 2. Nostradamus - The Council’s books do balance. They have been signed by the Deputy CEO / Head of Finance. If you care to read the Council Budget. we have given full assurances that there will be no cuts or downgrades to any Council services as you seem to imply. In fact, our Discretionary Fund Reserve stands at its highest level at any time between 2017-2021. The rest of your comments have no bearing on the subject matter. 3. Peter Henegan & Nick You have both touched upon a key point. We in Harlow Council cannot affect issues that fall within the realms of national government or Essex County Council. We of course are making all efforts with ECC to tackle the issue of road repairs. However, it is right that we focus on the delivery of our local manifesto pledges: local element tax cuts, regeneration of our town centre and estates ( so woefully neglected for far too long), an ambitious council house building programme (recently announced), estates regeneration and improved environmental maintenance among other priorities and ambitions. Our overarching goal is to restore pride on our town and make it the best place to live, to raise and family or to start a business.
David
2022-03-22 18:32:22
To James Leppard, perhaps your lead sentence should have said SOME residents,
peter henegan
2022-03-22 20:07:27
Nicholas Taylor "3. £150 Council Tax rebate from the Conservative Government (direct in April) for over 90% of Harlow homes". This is a national Govt contribution, nothing to do with Harlow, hence my comments
Jeremy
2022-03-22 21:59:54
Hi, I’m in band D and can see the £50 credit but not the £150. A note says “The government is providing a £150 one-off Energy Bills Rebate for most households in council tax bands A-D”. What does most mean ? Who does and who doesn’t ?
Nicholas Taylor
2022-03-22 22:01:45
Peter ..... just to Clarify, Nick is not me.
Jeremy
2022-03-22 22:04:56
Especially as you mention “ The £150 Council Tax rebate from the Government benefits all council tax residents in properties in Bands A to D”, James ?
James Leppard
2022-03-23 07:59:34
Dear Jeremy, The the £150 tax rebate element is made at the start of the new Financial Year, which commences each April. Residents paying Council Tax in Bands A to D will receive this by the end of April. If you refer back to the article, this was highlighted. I hope this serves for clarification.
peter henegan
2022-03-23 08:53:07
Nicholas Taylor, and Nick, apologies for my error
peter henegan
2022-03-23 09:02:29
Cllr Leppard your objectives are admirable and I fully support them. My problem comes from the spin "3. £150 Council Tax rebate from the Conservative Government (direct in April) for over 90% of Harlow homes"-you make this sound like a benefit-well I suppose it is but only in terms of reducing my gas/electric bill INCREASE of £110 compared to 6 months ago.
James Leppard
2022-03-23 09:54:47
Dear Peter, I assure no spin was intended. As I pointed out above, I too regret the inflationary pressures afflicting not only the UK most developed world economies through post-Covid supply pressures and energy price hikes, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. We are focusing on issues we can influence and even though benefits will be eroded, it is still a benefit when measured against the previous administration’s planned and incessant tax increases.
Adam
2022-03-23 13:55:40
"£5 off for the cancellation of Labour’s planned Council Tax increase " That's not a cut. If I were stuck in a tank of water and Labour had planned to pour in 5 litres, and you came along and stopped them pouring it in, I'd still have drowned.
Bill Turner
2022-03-23 14:30:46
Adam, it’s simple. Under Labour you would have paid more as that increase was in their budget plan for this. Fortunately, Harlow residents had the good sense to get rid of them. So you would rather pay more??
Adam
2022-03-23 15:30:31
Hi Bill. Of course, I'd rather pay less, but I'm not convinced that stopping a rise is the same as a reduction as implied.
Mike
2022-04-09 07:26:30
Chaos over £150 council tax rebate as town halls warn IT hitch may delay payouts for months
Mark sheppard
2022-04-28 17:22:42
What’s wrong with people government and Harlow are doing a good job you don’t no how lucky you are I’ve been in the army 13 years you don’t know what suffering is
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