Council Tax problems ahead, says leader

Cuts in services seem inevitable - unless Rother deliberately risks being capped.

The authority is offering Council Tax payers a "Have your say" facility via a consultation questionnaire.

Options include increases of 28p or 32p a week on the current average 2.37-a-week element of Council Tax.

Alternatives include increased parking charges, closing public toilets and tourist information centres and reducing parks and gardens spending or even closing public open spaces.

In attempting to protect services to the public in the 2004-2005 budget while receiving scant help from the Government towards the cost of requirements it was imposing, Rother came within an ace of being capped. The council set up a "budget board" to look at future options.

But prospects for 2005-2006 are even worse, says the leader. "The budget is looking dire - absolutely dire. The Government are not helping us with anything.

"The Government are saying on the one hand 'we are looking at low single-figure increases.' They have in mind five per cent, though they won't say it.

"We were looking at budget board papers recently. They are already saying that without some of the other stuff we haven't got information on we can project a 13% requirement just to stand still.

"That's not much in pennies, but like last year when we managed to convince people that it was worth putting it up a bit and then we get threatened with capping."

Asked what this meant, the leader said: "It means some serious cuts...

"I am telling people now that we cannot secure the money that we need just to provide what we have to so.

"On the one hand the Government are insisting that we take on more responsibilities and meet targets. So we have had licensing - which we estimate is going to cost a minimum of 100,000 and yet the Government choose to only estimate 50,000. They have broken it down to processes and are saying 'It only takes you five minutes to do this and 10 minutes to do that...'

"We have to meet very stringent waste and recycling targets. The paper on that is horrific.

"That's why things like Citizens' Advice Bureau grants, parks - those things are at risk.

"Can you sack any staff? We have got the lowest number of staff per 100 residents of anywhere in the whole of Sussex.

"I am going to do some work with my colleagues to see what the cost would be of being capped.

"It may be in the public interest to actually risk being capped and to encourage all my colleague councillors at district level to do the same.

"There is very little we can cut back on. Do people really want to see the parks and gardens shut? Of course they don't and nor should they. Parks add to the quality of life."