Council tax freeze letter to the KM

Dear Editor,

While the proposed freeze on council tax will be welcome to many (KM 19th Oct), I hope that Councillor Garland will consider the appalling impact that the freeze will have on much needed benefits, services and jobs in the borough. While the Green Party wants to see council tax abolished and replaced with a much fairer tax 'Land Value Tax', it remains the main method of ensuring that the public receive the services people need from councils.

We should remember that this freeze will hit vulnerable members of society hardest. This borough's Conservative administration is already planning to fail to protect those on council tax benefit from the Coalition's cuts next year. Another round of cuts by the council will simply make those in need suffer even more while all of us see our services decline and jobs lost.

I challenge the leader of the council to ensure that job losses, service cuts and benefit cuts are not made on his watch. Councillor Garland needs to stand up to his political masters and raise council tax next year. It is the only moral course of action that he can take.

Stuart Jeffery
Maidstone Green Party