Many Caithness councillors want to increase Council Tax above the rate of inflation

[Gronnuck]

It seems the majority of councillors in Caithness want to back an increase in council tax in an attempt to close Highland Council’s £64 million spending gap. A rise of 6% is being mooted; well above inflation. In these austere times where do they think council tax payers are going to find this extra money? It might be fine if you’re working and have the opportunity for overtime but there are many who survive on low pay or low fixed incomes and cannot afford this sort of increase.
Of course this would just be the thin edge of the wedge because once these councillors are on a roll they will return to the days when we had over-inflation rises year on year.
In many households people ‘cut their coat according to your cloth’ but it seems many of Caithness councillors can’t see that, they just want to carry on spending money they haven’t got!

[cat]

Could save by not having so many councillors, mps, msps etc. what exactly do they all do? I tried to contact local councillor as I needed a signature and of the 3 I tried none of them returned my call, yet they all turn up for getting their photos slapped all over the groat!!

[cat]

haha. I dina lek gittin ma photo taken!!!

[theone]

Council tax hasn't been raised a penny in 7 years.

As much as I don't like paying tax, a 6% rise over 7 years isn't bad at all.

[concerned resident]

Highland Council can deduct my 6% from the millions they wasted on Wick Heating.

[Kenn]

Hard choice but if we want to maintain the present services, let alone increase them then there is little option but to put up Council Tax.
Costs are running ahead of income and whilst I appreciate that there is money being wasted by Highland Council I just can't see any alternative for the near future....UNLESS we all strike oil or get permission for a wind farm in our back garden (takes tongue out of cheek, grabs tin hat and dives for the bunker!)

[spurtle]

Nobody minds paying more tax if they see a proper return on their payments, the chap heating system, the offices in Wick, not to mention the £1,000 bill to shoot pigeon out of that building for 1 day! It's not their money so why would they care. Someone I
know stood for council election a few years ago and was advised on the ways they could scam money and expenses by the other councillors - she was pretty horrified. The advice given was that as they all live in the same area they could share transport then claim individually and claim hotels even though they managed to return home. To add, that was not in the Caithness area, but wouldn't surprise me if that sort of thing happened here.