WITH talk of council tax increases, cuts in grants and amenities and possible redundancies, it is not time for there to be open and detailed discussion about how the tax is spent?

At more than one neighbourhood group meeting, I have asked for a breakdown of how and on what the tax is spent, area by area, amenities, vandalism repairs etc.

This would give an indication of whether the money is being fairly distributed and just what is the reason for the escalating costs.

Streets are no longer swept regularly or gritted promptly in bad weather, pot holes and pavements remain unmended, while money is spent on resurfacing a perfectly sound road, putting down road markings which cause more confusion than if they had been left alone and high-handed actions like removing parking spaces from outside local shops without consultation with either shopkeepers of residents.

I have also asked through the neighbourhood group for an explanation of why All Women's House is given an annual grant of several thousand pounds while other organisations often get nothing.

I declare an interest in grants as my daughter is involved in the Guides and I am a member of a choir. Either would welcome a grant of a few hundred pounds as would most similar organisations in the town, although not at the expense of vital services.

I have also asked where the shortfall on the bus passes has come from because when the free passes were cancelled, we were told it was because of a gap between what the council could afford and what the bus companies were asking.

It would not be right or fair for the shortfall to be met from the council tax as this would mean pensioners with no bus service would be subsidising those who have.

The questions were never answered and I was told they were "town" issues and not "local" although I would have thought in view of the large amounts of tax paid by residents of this area, we were entitled to any questions on its expenditure.

Should we not also be asking why we pay ever-increasing amounts to the police but if you are fortunate enough to get a reply on the phone, you are quite regularly told there are no officers available or your particular problem is low priority.

How much do our councillors cost us? Are they available and open to questioning about council policy and are they really willing to listen to the concerns of residents and not just as part of a public relations exercise and if necessary, put those concerns before party policy.

And please, no more talk about what can be done for "bored" young people.

They are bored because they haven't the intelligence or imagination to do anything else.

I would like to see as much breast beating by councillors about the fact an elderly pensioner in council accommodation is still waiting after nearly two years to have her shower modified so she can use it instead of having to pay people to assist her.

These points are just the tip of the iceberg.

Many people are becoming concerned about the amount of council tax they are having to pay and in some cases it is causing real hardship but it will not improve until people ask questions. And if they don't like the answers, they should vote accordingly.

M MORLEY

Tennyson Road

Headless Cross