LPUK Candidate Welcomes Freeze On Council Tax

PRESS RELEASE 22 November 2010:

Alex Ellis-Roswell, who will become one of the UK’s youngest city council candidates in next year’s local elections representing The Libertarian Party, has welcomed Canterbury City Council’s proposal to freeze council tax in the 2011/12 budget.

“The proposal to freeze council tax in Canterbury will be welcomed by thousands of already struggling households in the area. However a freeze is not enough in the long run. What the council need to be working towards is a reduction in council tax for all local residents. With a lower council tax more money will be in the pockets of local mums, dads, business owners and ordinary hard working people. It is a no brainer that with more money in their pocket, rather than the council coffers, more money will in turn be spent in local businesses in turn kick starting the local private economy again.

Canterbury relies heavily on public sector workers and thanks to our current Conservative – Liberal Democrat Government many locally will face uncertainty and unemployment in the near future. However rather than clinging onto the idea that we can afford an ever expanding public payroll, we should be looking at ways of encouraging growth in the local private sector. A reduction in council tax is just one way of doing that, encouraging local people to spend their money at local businesses.”

However, Alex Ellis-Roswell is concerned at some of the other council’s proposals for the budget 2011/12 including the worst case scenario of closing a further five public toilets, removing some litter and dog bins and doubling allotment charges.

“I am worried that the proposal to remove litter and dog bins will hit the rural areas the hardest, of which the ward I plan to represent comes under rural. The council has a lack of imagination and creativity when it comes to these cuts. There are ways to save bins and public toilets while still bringing down the cost of these services. We just have to look outside the box! Sponsorship is one option for funding some local services which has been proven to work in other districts and countries.”